Aesop's Fables
by Aesop
'Aesop's Fables' Summary
The fables originally belonged to the oral tradition and were not collected for some three centuries after Aesop's death. By that time a variety of other stories, jokes and proverbs were being ascribed to him, although some of that material was from sources earlier than him or came from beyond the Greek cultural sphere. The process of inclusion has continued until the present, with some of the fables unrecorded before the Late Middle Ages and others arriving from outside Europe. The process is continuous and new stories are still being added to the Aesop corpus, even when they are demonstrably more recent work and sometimes from known authors.
Manuscripts in Latin and Greek were important avenues of transmission, although poetical treatments in European vernaculars eventually formed another. On the arrival of printing, collections of Aesop's fables were among the earliest books in a variety of languages. Through the means of later collections, and translations or adaptations of them, Aesop's reputation as a fabulist was transmitted throughout the world.
Initially the fables were addressed to adults and covered religious, social and political themes. They were also put to use as ethical guides and from the Renaissance onwards were particularly used for the education of children. Their ethical dimension was reinforced in the adult world through depiction in sculpture, painting and other illustrative means, as well as adaptation to drama and song. In addition, there have been reinterpretations of the meaning of fables and changes in emphasis over time.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
Ancient GreekPublished In
Author
Aesop
Greece
Aesop (c. 620–564 BCE) was a Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. Although his existence remains unclear and no writings by h...
More on AesopDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The Box-Car Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
The Boxcar Children is a children's book series originally created and written by the American first-grade school teacher Gertrude Chandler Warner. To...
The Hungry Tiger of Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson
It is an enchanting children's book that takes young readers on a delightful adventure in the magical land of Oz. This book is a part of the beloved "...
Childhood's Favorites and Fairy Stories by Anonymous
A comprehensive collection of tales and fairy stories edited by the American essayist, editor, critic, and lecturer. American culture is indebted to h...
The Story Girl by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Story Girl is a 1911 novel by Canadian author L. M. Montgomery. It narrates the adventures of a group of young cousins and their friends who live...
Bunyip Land by George Manville Fenn
Joe Carstairs is a boy on a farm in Australia. His father is a keen naturalist who, some years before had set off for New Guinea in search of specimen...
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
A poor young boy from the slums of London watches a royal procession pass, with the youthful Prince of Wales riding at its head. He ventures too close...
The Children's Book of Christmas Stories by Various
Many librarians have felt the need and expressed the desire for a select collection of children's Christmas stories in one volume. This book claims to...
The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
The Red Fairy Book is the second in a series of twelve books known as Andrew Lang's Fairy Books or Andrew Lang's "Coloured" Books. The series was imme...
The Book of Dragons by Edith Nesbit
Eight enchanting tales about a variety of whimsical dragons, by a master of the craft, E Nesbit, are contained in this absolutely delightful volume, T...
The Feather by Ford Madox Ford
In the depths of World War I, amidst the chaos and intrigue, a mysterious feather holds the key to secrets and betrayals in Ford Madox Ford's gripping...
Reviews for Aesop's Fables
No reviews posted or approved, yet...