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Aesop
Fun Facts & FAQ's
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Did
you know that Aesop:
AESOP
FAQs
What is the
proper way to pronounce Aesop-with a long a or a long e in the first
syllable?
The Merriam Webster,
American Heritage, and Webster's New World College dictionaries show
Aesop pronounced with a long e. The Romans adopted many of the Greek's
stories, customs and gods when the cultures came into contact with one
another around 500 BC. The Romans took Aesop's fables and updated them
using the names of their own gods in lieu of the Greek names. Thus,
the Greek god, Zeus, became Jupiter, Hermes became Mercury, Athena became
Minerva, and so on. In Latin, the two vowels ae are pronounced as long
e. Since I have used the updated Romanized collection of fables, Aesop
should be pronounced as long e when reading Aesop
& the CEO.
Was Aesop a
real person?
Some scholars
have expressed doubt that Aesop ever existed, but Herodotus, a Greek
historian who is also known as the father of history, wrote about Aesop,
his reputation as a wise man, his service to Croesus, and his collection
of fables. Many legends have sprung up about the fabulist, and it is
difficult to separate the fact from the fiction.
Did Aesop live
a harsh life as a slave?
Yes. His masters
routinely whipped him for the smallest infractions. He began as a laborer
in the fields because people were put off by his deformity. His masters
made a point to ridicule him for his physical appearance. Eventually,
though, Aesop's wisdom and inherent goodness won people over,
and he was allowed to work inside the house.
Did Aesop write
his fables down?
No. He passed
them on by word of mouth. It's possible that he intentionally didn't
write them down so he could keep them as his own. Socrates began writing
some of Aesop's fables down as he awaited the ship from Delphi that
would pick him up and bring him to his death. Around 300 BC, an Athenian
politician named Phalereus wrote down two hundred of the fables in a
collection called Assemblies of Aesop's Tales.
Just around the time of Christ's birth, Phaedrus, another Greek slave,
translated the fables into Latin where they spread throughout the Roman
empire. Around AD 230, a Greek poet named Valerius Babrius took Aesop's
fables, combined them with fables from India, and published them all
in Greek verse. The fables that have survived and are most widely circulated
today are from Babrius' collection.
Is it true
that most of what we know about Aesop comes from two 17th century writers?
Yes. Life
of Aesop by French writer, M. Claude Gaspard Bachet de Mezeriac, was
published in 1632 and translated into English by George Fyler Townsend
in 1882. The Life of Aesop by Sir Roger L'Estrange was published in 1692. Modern scholars
have not been able to add anything substantive to the information on
Aesop's life compiled by these seventeenth-century writers.
Who were Aesop's
masters?
His first master
was Jadmon. He brought a group of his slaves to Ephesus to sell them.
He sold all but three: a musician, an orator and Aesop. He dressed the
musician and the orator in the appropriate costumes so that people would
know what they did. He stuck Aesop in the middle of them as a fool.
People made fun of the unsightly hunchback. Xanthus, a noted philosopher
saw the three slaves as he was walking through the marketplace with
some of his pupils, and was impressed with the first two. He asked them
what they could do.
Anything,
said the musician. Everything, said the orator. Aesop laughed
out loud when he heard their replies. The pupils asked Aesop what was
so funny. Have your teacher ask me why, Aesop told the young
students.
Meanwhile, Xanthus
was trying to beat the price down on the other two slaves. The merchant
would not yield, so Xanthus was about to walk away. A pupil asked Xanthus
to put the same question to Aesop. As a joke, Xanthus asked Aesop: And
what is it that you do?
Nothing at
all, replied Aesop.
What do you
mean? a puzzled Xanthus asked.
My companions undertake anything and everything, so there's nothing left for me to do. Aesop's reply
amused Xanthus, so he pressed him: If I should give money for you
now, would you be good and honest?
I'll be that
whether you buy me or not, Aesop answered.
Won't you run
away? Xanthus asked.
Pray, did you
ever hear of a bird in the cage that told his master he intended to
make his escape? Aesop replied.
That unlucky
shape of yours will set people a hooting and gaping at you wherever
you go, Xanthus informed Aesop.
A philosopher
should value a man for his mind, not for his body,
Aesop replied.
Xanthus was so
impressed with Aesop's answers that he asked the merchant how
much he wanted for him.
Give me the price on the other two, the merchant said, and you can have the hunchback for free. Thus, Aesop, the musician and the orator became the property of Xanthus. How did Aesop
gain his freedom?
In addition to
his wisdom, Aesop had the ability to read signs. One day, the townsfolk
discovered that the town seal was missing. In fact, an eagle had picked
it up and dropped it down the bosom of a young female slave. The people
thought the sign was an omen of some kind, but had no idea what it meant.
They asked Xanthus to interpret the meaning, but he wasn't able to do
so. Aesop spoke up and said that he knew exactly what the sign meant,
letting Xanthus off the hook. The townspeople demanded Aesop tell them
his interpretation.
Aesop had waited
many years for this moment. I'm glad you
asked me to interpret this matter which is of tremendous importance.
But would you people be willing to accept the sayings of a slave on
a matter so great? Better that you free me, and take the warning I am
about to give you as coming from one of your own stature.
The people agreed
and paid Xanthus for Aesop's freedom. Aesop then told them the meaning
of the sign: We are about to be invaded by Croesus' army. His emissaries
are going to demand tribute from us. Aesop's interpretation, it
seems, was right on the money. Soon after, word spread to the town that
emissaries from King Croesus were en route.
The people thought
it would probably be best to pay the tribute money, and avoid war. But
Aesop stated a compelling case to fight for the cause of freedom, and
convinced the people to tell the emissaries that they intended to fight
rather than pay the tribute. When the emissaries reported to Croesus
that the people were just about to capitulate until Aesop changed their
minds, he summoned Aesop to Lydia. The king wanted to see what kind
of man could weave such persuasive words. Consequently, Aesop appeared
before Croesus as a free man, and Croesus, for his part, was so impressed
with Aesop, that he asked the fabulist to stay on and serve in his court.
Why did his
son betray him?
Aesop adopted
a poor but bright boy named Ennus because he wanted somebody to inherit
his legacy and to help him in his old age. Ennus was a bright boy but
he was also treacherous. Perhaps he wanted to inherit his father's wealth
as soon as possible (Aesop had become rich in serving one of the richest
kings of the ancient world). The boy forged Aesop's names to several
letters plotting with some local princes against their king. When Ennus
showed the letters to the king, the outraged ruler ordered Aesop put
to death. The jailers knew Aesop well and could not bring themselves
to kill such a good and noble man. So they placed him in a dungeon where
he would not be seen. Several days later several of the local princes
petitioned the king for assistance. The nature of the request proved
that there was no conspiracy among Aesop and the princes. The king wished
he still had his faithful servant, Aesop, because he alone could provide
the help the princes needed. The king was so full of remorse that he
said he would give half his kingdom away if Aesop could be brought back
to him.
The jailers heard
the kings lament and brought Aesop forth from the dungeon. Aesop, malnourished
and in rags, again professed his innocence. This time, though, the king
knew that Aesop was telling the truth and ordered Ennus put to death.
But in a forgiving and noble gesture, Aesop pleaded for his son's life,
which the king granted. Instead, the king arrested the jailers and had
them put to death for disobeying his initial order.
How did Aesop
die?
Croesus sent Aesop
to Delphi to give out a large store of gold. But when Aesop saw how
selfish and greedy the citizens of this supposedly holy city were, he
became disgusted and sent the gold back to the king. The people of Delphi
became irate when they learned that Aesop had sent the gold back. One
legend has it that someone planted a gold chalice in Aesop's luggage
as he was about to depart. The people arrested Aesop, charged him with
desecrating their temple, and sentenced him to die. It was common to
execute criminals by throwing them off a cliff. As the people led Aesop
to the precipice, he began telling them one final fable. The people
hurled him off the cliff before he could finish.
What fable
was he trying to tell them?
The fable of the
Old Man and the Donkeys which goes like this: An old man was near death.
He had never been to the local town and wanted to see it once before
he died. His donkeys knew the road to town quite well so the old man
attached himself to them and set out. Along the way, however, a great
storm arose and threw the donkeys off the path. They fell into a pit
and dragged the old man with them. As the old man breathed his last
breath he cursed the donkeys: I cannot believe I am about to be destroyed
by the basest of beasts: a bunch of asses!
Aesop obviously
was likening the donkeys to the horde of people that were about to do
him in. Legend has it that God will not suffer my blood to be unavenged
were his final words. Soon after, a series of natural and man-made catastrophes
hit Delphi. The calamities made the citizens realize how gravely unjust
they had been to Aesop, and they eventually atoned for their sin against
him.
Is there a
statue or painting of Aesop that shows what he looked like?
No. Lysippus,
a famous Greek sculptor, immortalized Aesop by erecting a statue of
him in Athens. The statute was destroyed and no likenesses of this famous
wise man exist. A marble bust was carved during the fifteenth century
but is based solely on the sculptor's fancy.
LINKS
TO FABLES
Would you like
to read some of Aesop's fables? Click on these links:
Laura Gibbs
of the University of Oklahoma wrote a book on Aesop's fables that was
published by the Oxford University Press in 2003. Her web site has hundreds
of the fables: www.mythfolklore.net/aesopica
Page by Page
Books has a web site where you can read the fables for free:
Literature.org
has an online library of literature including Aesop's fables:
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