You need to know about them if you are determined to succeed in life!!!
Aesop
In the ancient times the city of Delphos suffered the outbreak of plague that claimed many lives. The heads of the city had no doubt that gods had sent the disaster to them as a punishment. So they went to the priests and asked what the cause of the plague was. The priests replied: “your ancestors have treacherously killed the ugliest but the wisest slave that ever lived and now you have to pay for this in full.
Well, it is interesting who was called the ugliest but at the same time the wisest man on the earth?
It was Aesop and according to Plato he was born approximately 620 BC. From Aristotle we learn that Aesop was a slave in Samos and that his masters were first a man named Xanthus and then a man named Iadmon. He met his end in the city of Delphi where he had been sent on a diplomatic mission from King Croesus of Lydia. Delphians outraged by his abuse sentenced him to death by throwing him into the sea from a cliff.
The ugly slave
According to some sources, he was an ugly hunchbacked slave, short and bow-legged. His long arms were almost to the knees. With his thick short neck, long nose, big ears and dark rough skin he made an appalling impression on people; but if you had looked into his eyes, you would have found endless kindness and intelligence there.
As if it wasn’t enough to have been born ugly, he was turned into a slave and deprived of his freedom and the right to express his opinions.
Despite this, he found the way to tell people the truth. He spoke to them through his fables teaching them to love each other, to be fair and conscientious. The fables of Aesop are one of the most valuable treasures of humanity.
Aesop’s glory
His fables were read by great philosophers like Plato, Plutarch and Socrates; moreover, according to one of the versions, Socrates amused himself by turning Aesop’s fables into poetry while in prison.
The works of the slave of unknown origin were highly appreciated among the Greeks. They have written many stories and legends about him. People loved him and his fables were passed on from generation to generation, perhaps as the reward for his great wisdom, selfless devotion and love to people.
Future generations paid great tribute to Aesop and built monuments in his honor. I think the reason they did it so is to remind the future generations that:
- the main quality of a person is his personal traits and not his appearance
- the path leading to glory is open to all
- you rise to fame through your talent and not because of your title or origin