A number of later writers from the Roman imperial period (including Phaedrus, who adapted the fables into Latin) say that he was born in Phrygia.

The earliest Greek sources, including Aristotle, indicate that Aesop was born around 620 BCE in the Greek colony of Mesembria. in the latter part of the fifth century something like a coherent Aesop legend appears, and Samos seems to be its home.Ī woodcut of Aesop surrounded by events from his life from La vida del Ysopet con sus fabulas historiadas (Spain, 1489) The name of Aesop is as widely known as any that has come down from Graeco-Roman antiquity it is far from certain whether a historical Aesop ever existed . Depictions of Aesop in popular culture over the last 2,500 years have included many works of art and his appearance as a character in numerous books, films, plays, and television programs. Older spellings of his name have included Esop(e) and Isope. An ancient literary work called The Aesop Romance tells an episodic, probably highly fictional version of his life, including the traditional description of him as a strikingly ugly slave ( δοῦλος) who by his cleverness acquires freedom and becomes an adviser to kings and city-states. Scattered details of Aesop's life can be found in ancient sources, including Aristotle, Herodotus, and Plutarch. Many of the tales associated with him are characterized by anthropomorphic animal characters.

Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. 620–564 BCE formerly rendered as Æsop) was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's FablesĪesop ( / ˈ iː s ɒ p/ EE-sop or / ˈ eɪ s ɒ p/ AY-sop Greek: Αἴσωπος, Aísōpos c. Plaster cast of a Hellenistic statue thought to depict Aesop original in the Art Collection of the Villa Albani, Rome.

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