Aesop has come to be seen, in some mythical capacity, as the recognized father of fables. As in the case of many early figures—such as Solomon, in the case of proverbs, or Laozi in the Daoist tradition—this was a convenient way of both honoring a seminal figure in the tradition and creating an official canon of relevant material.
There is a Life of Aesop, which is included in the readings. This account of Aesop’s legendary life contains wild and obscene elements, along with plenty of satire. A tour through his fables unlock the truth of things in an entertaining, yet deep format. This is one of the true powers of fables.
The reading and podcast explore the importance of fables and the life of the genius Aesop in the wisdom literature genre.
Lesson Reading
Readings in Ethics: Moral Wisdom Past and Present. Chapter 9, pages 141-151
Additional Resources
Read Aesop’s Fables for free. This site is a massive reservoir of material that allows you to explore all of Aesop’s Tales.
The Mystical Wisdom in Fables