Aesop

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According to legend, Aesop (620–564 BCE) spent much of his early life as a slave before earning his freedom with cleverness. No trace of his original writings survives, but Aesop’s fables were transcribed by others and passed down through the ages. In 1484 the first printed edition spurred a wave of translations around the world. Today his tales of moral instruction are some of the most cherished stories in the world.