Phaedrus (c. 15 B.C - c. 50 A.D)
Originally a freedman of Augustus hailing from the mountainous regions of Greece or Macedonia, he was the first in the Roman Empire to collate a book of fables into Latin. He eventually wrote 5 books, living from the reign of Augustus to the reign of Claudius. His works, however, were interrupted by Sejanus (he was persecuted), which prolonged his writing time. He still got all 5 books done. His inspiration was Aesop, which much of the stories he based off of for his own writings. He dedicated the 3rd book (he took a hiatus halfway through by Sejanus) to Eutychus (chariot racer during Caligula). Not much else is known about him.
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Basic InfoFull Name:
Phaedrus (Φαῖδρος) Born: c. 15 B.C | Pieria, Macedonia Died: c. 50 A.D (aged 65) | Unknown |
WorksPhaedrus is indebted to Aesop for his fables. Phaedrus used the devices of the foreword (promythion) and afterword (epimythion). His fables are named for Aesop himself.
Latin: http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/phaedrus.html |