Lions are prominent in the art of Bronze Age European cultures, such as the Myceneans in Greece. Aristotle and Herodotus mention lions. Were there really prides of lions roaming Europe? Do we know much about them and their interactions with humans? Did they have cold-weather adaptations?

by RusticBohemian

WelfOnTheShelf

I'm sure we could use a more recent to this, but while we're waiting, there's an older answer by u/jschooltiger about Why does England have a Lion on their flag, despite the fact there were no Lions in England?, with links to numerous other older answers about lions in Greece and Italy.