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The story of Aesop is told by Plutarch (de Ser. Num. Vind. c. 12. 557 A). Croesus had sent him to distribute four minae to each of the Delphians, but Aesop sent back the money to Sardis; enraged at this, the Delphians unjustly condemned him to death for sacrilege, and executed him. Afterwards they suffered from ‘strange diseases’, until they made atonement by paying compensation to Iadmon. The story was obviously unknown to H. (cf. i. 54), and also that of Aesop's residence at the court of Croesus (Plut. Sol. 28 ad init.).

Myers (Hell. p. 454) quotes this passage and vi. 139 as proofs of the higher morality of Delphi, which cares for the lives of women and slaves.

Tradition credits Aesop with written works; but the passage as to his γέλοια (Aristoph. Wasps, 566) seems only to imply oral tradition; at all events the fables that bear his name have been held, since Bentley, to be forgeries. It has been denied that Aesop is a real person, but the evidence of H., who may well have met at Samos some of the family of Iadmon, is conclusive against this scepticism.

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