Aesop ( ; ,
Aisopos; c. 620 – 564 BCE) was an
Ancient Greek fabulist or
story teller credited with a number of
fables now collectively known as
Aesop's Fables. Although his existence remains uncertain and no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages in a storytelling tradition that continues to this day. Many of the tales are characterized by animals and inanimate objects that speak, solve problems, and generally have human characteristics.