Eagerly, Hieronymus tried to do penance for his sins, which, according to Christian understanding, were found in the heart. That is why he is hitting his chest with a stone. He lived as a hermit around 400 CE in the Syrian desert, in the company of a lion, which he tamed by removing a thorn from its paw. Hieronymus is best known for his Latin translation of the Bible. The saints Anthony the Great and Augustine can be seen in the background.