Aesop, a figure known for more than 2500 years, wasn’t originally known as a writer of fables for children. In the ancient world, animal fables provided advice and instruction for kings. The Life of Aesop (Vita Aesopi), also known as the Aesop Romance, was probably written in Greek about 1900 years ago. A bodily comic biography of Aesop, the Life of Aesop engaged in complex interaction between high and low culture. That interaction continued in the Middle Ages and remains vitally important today.
From Aesop to Phaedrus to Gualterus Anglicus, a fable describes Thais seducing a young man aware of her deceptions but satisfied with pleasure and betrayal. … Read the post no fable: Thais showed men’s propensity to believe women
The medieval Latin poem Modus Florum clarifies the story of Ahiqar, the life of Aesop, and poetry’s relation to history. … Read the post Modus Florum shows poetic, inner-truth alternative to history
The Life of Aesop offers trenchant critique of elite culture. Aesopic conversations about sex and gender existed with Marcolf through the Middle Ages. … Read the post Life of Aesop as continuing critique of elite culture
The Aesop Romance presented a quarrel between story-telling (Aesop) and philosophy (Xanthus) like Plato’s quarrel between philosophy and poetry. … Read the post Aesop Romance: quarrels of story-telling, philosophy & poetry
The Gospel of John, the pseudepigraphical story Joseph and Aseneth, and the Aesop Romance all include accounts of negotiated washing of feet. … Read the post Aseneth & Xanthus’s wife replay Jesus washing feet
Galen used a classical Aesop fable about a Hermes statue to connect material to soul and mock Posidippus’s epigram about a statue of Philitas of Cos. … Read the post Galen analogized godly man to Hermes herm