Aesop
Introduction Aesop was a Greek fabulist and storyteller. The details of Aesop's early life are shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts from ancient sources. It is believed that Aesop was born around 620 BCE and died in 564 BCE at the age of approximately 56. The exact location of his birth is uncertain, but he is commonly associated with Thrace or Phrygia. Aesop was said to have been a slave, possibly belonging to a citizen of Samos named Xanthus. According to Herodotus, he lived during the 6th century BCE and was later employed as an adviser to Croesus, the king of Lydia. However, these details have been subject to debate and may be more legendary than historical. Early Greek sources, including Aristotle, say that Aesop was born around 620 BC in the Greek colony of Mesembria. Several later writers of the Roman Empire period (including Phaedrus, who adapted the fables into Latin) say that he was born in Phrygia. The 3rd century poet Callimachus called hi...