The Fables attributed to Aesop constitute a foundational collection of concise, didactic narratives, typically employing animals with human traits to convey lessons of practical wisdom. Each tale concludes with an explicit moral, known as an epimythium or promythium. Although traditionally associated with the semi-legendary Aesop, a Thracian or Phrygian slave said to have lived in the 6th century BCE, the fables represent a fluid oral tradition that was later systematized into written compilations. They are primarily preserved in prose form, though they were subsequently adapted into verse by authors such as Babrius in Greek and Phaedrus in Latin.
The narratives explore enduring themes of human and social conduct. They frequently champion practical wisdom and the consequences of action, as seen in the tale of the industrious ant and the improvident grasshopper. A common motif is the triumph of cunning over brute strength, exemplified by the story of a mouse freeing a lion from a net. The fables also offer sharp critiques of human frailty, including hypocrisy and self-deception, illustrated by the fox who dismisses unreachable grapes as sour. Warnings concerning social ethics and the breakdown of trust are equally prominent, most famously in the parable of the shepherd who falsely cried wolf.
No original writings by Aesop survive. The fables circulated widely in oral tradition for centuries before being assembled into prose collections, the most important of which is the Augustana compilation dating from the first or second century CE. The standard corpus largely derives from later redactions, particularly the Greek verse versions of Babrius and the Latin verse adaptations of Phaedrus. The significance of Aesop's Fables in Western literature and thought is profound. They were essential tools in ancient rhetoric and education, were adapted by Roman authors and medieval beast epics, and were revitalized in the 17th century by Jean de La Fontaine. Their legacy endures as a cornerstone of global children's literature and a ubiquitous source of metaphorical language.
ΣΥΣ, ΙΠΠΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΚΥΝΗΓΕΤΗΣ
Πρὸς τὸν ἰσχυρὸν τὸν καὶ ἄλλοις οὐκ ἀντέχοντα καὶ εὐχάλινον ὅδε λόγος ἐφαρμόζει.
Ἵππος καὶ ὗς λειμῶνος ἐκοινώνουν. ὁ δὲ ὗς ἐλυμαίνετο τὰς πηγὰς καὶ τὰς πόας τοῦ ἵππου διέφθειρεν.
Πολλάκις δὲ τοῦ ἵππου ...
ΠΟΙΜΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΠΡΟΒΑΤΑ
Κατὰ τῶν τοὺς μὲν ἄλλους εὖ ποιούντων, τοὺς δὲ φίλους κακῶς ὅδε λόγος ἐφαρμόζει.
Ποιμὴν θεὶς τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ ἀναβὰς ἐπὶ δρῦν ἐράβδιζεν τῶν βαλάνων τοῖς προβάτοις. τὰ δὲ πρόβατα περί τε τῶν βαλάνων ἐμαχήσαντο καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ διέφθειραν. καταβὰς δὲ καὶ ἰδὼν τὸ συμβεβηκὸς εἶπεν· ὦ κάκιστα πρόβατα, ὑμεῖς ἄλλοις τὰ ἔρια ...
ΗΡΑΚΛΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΟΥΤΟΣ
Πρὸς τὸν πλούσιον ἴσα καὶ πονηρὸν ὅδε λόγος ἐφαρμόζει. Ὁ Ζεὺς τὸν Ἡρακλῆ ὡς εἰς θεοὺς ἄξων εἱστία καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεοὺς ἐκάλεσεν ἐπὶ τὸ δεῖπνον. ἐπιόντα δὲ ἕκαστον τῶν θεῶν ὑπερβολῇ ἠσπάζετο ὁ Ἡρακλῆς, τοῦ δὲ Πλούτου ἐσχάτου προσιόντος ἄφνω κύψας κάτω ὁ Ἡρακλῆς οὐ προσηγόρευσεν αὐτόν. τοῦ Διὸς θαυμάσαντος καὶ ἐρωτήσαντος τὸν Ἡρακλῆ, διὰ τί τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἀπεκρίνατο, ὅτι ὦ πάτερ, ἔγωγε τοῦτον ἐπίσταμαι ἀεὶ μετὰ τῶν πονηροτάτων ἀνθρώπων διατρίβοντα καὶ μετὰ τούτων συμβουλόμενον. ἀτὰρ ὁ Πλοῦτος εἶπε· ἄνθρωπε πονηρότατε, ἔργῳ ὅταν ὁ Πλοῦτος παραγίνηται, ἐᾷς, νῦν τῷ λόγῳ παροξύνῃ ...
ΓΛΑΥΞ ΚΑΙ ΟΡΝΙΘΕΣ
... ἰξοφόρον δρῦν ἀναφυομένην ᾔσθετο, τοῖς ὀρνέοις ἐπηπείλει τὴν δρῦν ἀναφυεῖσαν μὲν ἔσεσθαι κακὸν τῷ γένει τῶν ὀρνέων. τὸν λόγον δʼ αὐτῶν ὀλιγωρούντων ἡ δρῦς ηὐξήθη, λαβὼν δέ τις ἀνὴρ ἰξευτὴς ἀπὸ τῆς δρυὸς τὸν ἰξὸν ἐθήρασεν, τὰ δὲ ὄρνεα ὁρῶντα μετενόουν καὶ ἔφησαν δεινὴν εἶναι τὴν γλαῦκα τὸ μέλλον προμαντεύεσθαι. καὶ νῦν ὅταν ἴδωσι τὴν γλαῦκα περίπετον, εἰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἀπέχει, συμβουλεύειν λίσσονται. ἡ δὲ λέγει· ὦ πονηρά, αἰσχύνεσθε νῦν καὶ μιμνήσκεσθε; ὅτε οὐδὲ λι … ἢ ἔτι πλει … ἦν, ὅτε δʼ ἦν … οθλ … α … ὤραν οὐκ ἔσχετε τῆς ἐμῆς συμβουλῆς. ἀτὰρ οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς τότε οὐ μνησθέντες ἐμοῦ, νῦν … κ … ὅτε οὐδὲ … τούτῳ τοίνυν τῷ λόγῳ ἐπλήγησαν καὶ τὴν γνώμην φαίνονται αὐτῶν εἰρηκέναι λέγοντες· οὕτως οὐδὲν ὄφελος ὕστερον ...
