Greek writers
Aesop
Aesop (Aesop) was a Greek fabulist, writer and mythographer. He was born in 620 BC (Mesembria - Pontus) and died in 564 BC (Delphi). He is considered to be the founder of the Greek fable.
Little is known about the life of Aesop. He would have been born a slave of Thracian or Phrygian descent. Throughout his life he would have been very sick or even crippled. After his release he travelled widely. He visited, for example, Babylon, Egypt and Greece.
Aesop is said to have gained his freedom by his master unwisely engaging in a bet for all his wealth. He wagered that he could drink the whole sea. But he couldn't get out of the bet after that, so he called Aesop to his rescue. He advised him to insist that he drink only the sea and not all the rivers, lakes, etc. His opponents did not know how to prevent this confluence, and so the bet was off. For this, Aesop was given his freedom.
According to legend, Aesop was falsely accused of sacrilege at Delphi and subsequently sentenced to death. This was to be thrown off a cliff into a deep abyss.
The fables were orally recited and were short prose stories with a concise plot. They feature animals and plants that take on human characteristics. The characters gradually become the bearers of the traits, and since then, "proud eagle", "strong lion" or "clever fox" have been used. Dialogue is frequent in the plot, which adds momentum and enhances the drama.
His fables became known throughout the world, but were not recorded in writing until the 3rd century BC.
Aesop was followed by many authors, such as Jean de La Fontaine and Ivan Andreyevich Krylov.