Roman marble sarcophagus depicting a lion killing its prey. In the Roman world, burial superseded cremation in the 2nd century AD creating a large demand for sarcophagi during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Lions were thought to protect the dead, and carvings of lions hunting deer were particularly popular. The use of hunting scenes on sarcophagi became widespread due to the Roman emperor Caracalla's admiration for Alexander the Great and his hunts. Lions were also associated with Hercules. Photographed in the Campo Santo, Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa, Italy.