Aesop | Maker of Fables

Aesop was a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. We know this man only by his given name but he served an expansive audience as a fabulist and a storyteller. 

With time, Aesop has reached infamy for his renowned and popular fables. Although Aesop was initially a slave, the story goes that through his reputation as a fabulist and a storyteller, he earned his freedom. This allowed him to better develop the artistic industry for which he was a master. 

Was Aesop a Real Person? 

The question of whether Aesop was a real person cannot be answered with precision because there are no clear traces of the life of this great fabulist. However, time has seen that very many tales are owed to Aesop deliver the message.

This is because most of his tales feature animals as well as inanimate objects that have been given the artistic ability and have human qualities such as speaking and solving problems. Most of the works by Aesop employ a personification approach t His works have been translated to multiple languages. These remain instrumental as an educational and entertainment enabler particularly for the children.

What made Aesop Famous?

Aesop having lived his life and is still remembered for his exquisite fables and stories. Having said that, it is important to note that there are some of the fables by Aesop that stood out from the rest and because of that, the Aesop flag was and still is hoisted higher every day. 

The fable “the tortoise and the hare” is one of the most loved fables of Aesop and is perhaps the reason why his name is still remembered in the world over. Even so, Aesop remains popular because of more than just one of his fable because in as much as the above-mentioned fable is very popular, different audiences and readers have different tastes and preferences. 

According to research and statistics, some of the fables that have made Aesop most popular include but are not limited to the following; 
  • The ant and the Grasshopper, 
  • The boy who cried wolf, 
  • The crow and the fox, 
  • The goose that laid golden eggs, 
  • The tortoise and the hare, and 
  • The wolf in sheep’s clothing. 
There is no second thought to the fact these are the most popular of the fables by Aesop. Evidence supports that these fables have even been integrated into the teaching and learning curriculums of most schoolchildren.

When looking for Aesop’s fables in the library particular in the sections set aside specifically for the children, for a standard library, there are high chances that you will find the most popular ones of his books. The stocking of these books follows the fact that they are the most sought after. However, over 700 fables have been credited to Aesop so far, all of which are accessible at Aesop-The Complete fables.

The first of Aesop’s fables

No definite record of which fable was first created by Aesop exists. This is because of the absence of written or existing physical evidence. Over the years, however, different versions of his fables have been developed by different storytellers.

For this reason, the works of Aesop are still alive even after his passing. The very first of fables by Aesop were targeted towards adults in society in a bid to make them live in an improved way with each other upholding good values, life skills and other information relevant for a sustainable society where peace and unity were upheld.

The Aesopica, commonly referred to as the Aesop’s fables constitute of a collection of fables for which credit has been owed to Aesop. Multiple translations of his works developed out of this collection of fables, the result of which is witnessed in the fact that his fables are told in almost all the countries in the world, particularly to children.

The death of Aesop

The death of Aesop followed his mission to Delhi. This mission was commissioned by the king of Lydia, King Croesus. When Aesop was in Delhi, he made insults targeting the citizens of Delhi. This act resulted in his death sentence. 

Aesop was accused of stealing from the temple coupled with charges of having thrown insults at the magistrate. To meet his death, the magistrate ordered that Aesop be thrown down a cliff, a move that caused the death of the excellent fabulist and storyteller. 

Aesop was born in 621 BC, Aesop died at the age of about 56 years in 565 BC in Delphi, Greece. The death of Aesop had a catastrophic impact on the Delphians because soon after his death, the people of Delhi fell victim of natural calamities such as pestilence and famine.

Aesop Stories

Aesop’s fables are so many and form the best teaching material for morality as a living principle. So far, a record of up to 765 fables exists due to Aesop’s fables. These fables have not been extinct because of the fact that they have been verbally passed down from generation to generation for delivering education, teaching on morality and most importantly, for entertainment purposes. There is, however, a debate of whether the works by Aesop are heavily intended for either teaching on morality or for entertainment purposes.

Conclusion

Aesop is in himself a legend because of his ability to use his skills to earn his freedom. He is also remembered for having come up with the most popular and populous series of fables that have since retained their value to society and more specifically, to children. Aesop’s contribution to the teaching curriculum cannot be ignored and more importantly, his role as an enabler to educating children about morality in a way that they can easily relate with through personification of inanimate characters and objects should never be forgotten.





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