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The Forum: Aesop and the Fables

The fox telling Aesop about animals, decoration from a Greek vase

28/05/2020 GMT

Aesop and the Fables

BBC World Service - The Forum, Aesop and the Fables

A black slave wrote 700 animal tales in Ancient Greece. Why are they still best sellers?

The ‘Hare and the Tortoise, the ‘Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’…Aesop’s Fables have remained hugely popular for over two and a half thousand years. Why?

Aesop, with his tales of tortoises and hares, foxes and grapes, and wolves in sheep's clothing has been a part of world literature for over two thousand years. Since the time of the Ancient Greeks successive generations have drawn moral lessons from his fables, and over history his animals' exploits have been used to support differing ideals. Malcolm X was a fan, as was Imperial Britain, the Nazis had their version and the Trade Union movement published the fables too.  There are over 700 fables, and they are supposedly written by a black slave far clever than his philosopher master. 

Bridget Kendall traces the origin and meaning of Aesop's fables and explores what they can teach us about understanding our own extraordinary times with three world experts: Edith Hall, Professor of Classics at Kings College London; Vayos Liapis, Professor of Theatre at the Open University of Cyprus; Dan-el Padilla Peralta, Associate Professor of Classics at Princeton University.  

(Image: The fox telling Aesop about animals, decoration from a Greek vase, 5th century BC, Vatican Museums. Credit: De Agostini Picture Library/Getty Images)

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