Aesop

Like many ancient storytellers, the legendary figure of Aesop is shrouded in mystery. Our imperfect knowledge of his life is heavily tempered with fiction and the very real possibility that he may not have existed at all.

The year of Aesop’s birth is generally believed to have been around 620 BCE, though there is some debate as to where it took place. According to many, he was a slave on the Greek island of Samos who attained his freedom after repeatedly outwitting his master, the philosopher Xanthus. He was eventually killed in Delphi, after he offended the city’s residents, around 564 BCE. Although various other claims about Aesop have been made – that he was born mute and only later gained the ability to tell stories, for example – these remain controversial.