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Among the Ancients II: Aesop
Season 10 · Episode 2

Among the Ancients II: Aesop

<p>Supposedly an enslaved man from sixth-century Samos, Aesop might not have ever really existed, but the fables attributed to him remain some of the most widely read examples of classical literature. A fascinating window into the ‘low’ culture of ancient Greece, the Fables and the figure of Aesop appear in the work of authors as diverse as Aristophanes, Plato and Phaedrus, serving new purposes in new contexts. Emily and Tom discuss how Aesop’s fables as we know them came to be, make sense of their moral contradictions and unpack some of the fables that are most opaque to modern readers.</p><br><p>Non-subscriber will only hear extracts from the rest of this series. To listen in full and to our other <em>Close Readings</em> series, sign up:</p><p>Directly in Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://lrb.me/ataapple" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://apple.co/3pJoFPq</a></p><p>In other podcast apps: <a href="https://lrb.me/atasignuppod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lrb.me/closereadings</a></p><br><p>Further reading in the <em>LRB</em>: </p><br><p>Tim Whitmarsh: Crashing the Delphic Party</p><p><a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v33/n12/tim-whitmarsh/crashing-the-delphic-party" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v33/n12/tim-whitmarsh/crashing-the-delphic-party</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Close Readings

February 24, 202411m 11s

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Show Notes

Supposedly an enslaved man from sixth-century Samos, Aesop might not have ever really existed, but the fables attributed to him remain some of the most widely read examples of classical literature. A fascinating window into the ‘low’ culture of ancient Greece, the Fables and the figure of Aesop appear in the work of authors as diverse as Aristophanes, Plato and Phaedrus, serving new purposes in new contexts. Emily and Tom discuss how Aesop’s fables as we know them came to be, make sense of their moral contradictions and unpack some of the fables that are most opaque to modern readers.


Non-subscriber will only hear extracts from the rest of this series. To listen in full and to our other Close Readings series, sign up:

Directly in Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pJoFPq

In other podcast apps: lrb.me/closereadings


Further reading in the LRB


Tim Whitmarsh: Crashing the Delphic Party

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v33/n12/tim-whitmarsh/crashing-the-delphic-party

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.