05/19/2026
LoC Digitizes the First Greek 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 Printed in the United States
By Nevila Pahumi, Reference Specialist for Albanian and Modern Greek
Last year, the Library of Congress acquired what is believed to be the first modern Greek language version of 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 published in the independent United States. The Boston-based publisher, Hilliard & Metcalf, published the school text in 1812. The title page depicted below notes that this version was adapted for young students—presumably ones who already had intermediate reading skills in Greek and Latin.
𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 are a beloved trove of ancient wisdom narrated in the form of moral stories. They have traveled across the world and been translated into many languages through the centuries. Aesop, the travelling sage who is linked to the fables, is said to have been a freed slave who lived in Greece in the sixth century B.C.E. According to sources as mythical as the man himself, Aesop was a consultant of sorts—an adviser to King Croesus, and a riddle-solver to another king in Babylonia. Whatever his origins and actual life story, Aesop's fables are known for their simplicity, humor, and wisdom. And as such, they hold enduring appeal today.
The Library of Congress holds countless editions of 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 , documenting this rich millennial tradition of adaptation and translation of the fables to different audiences and into many languages. Many are derived from the version of Jean de La Fontaine, the acclaimed seventeenth century French fabulist, which I also read in elementary school. For a richer, in depth exploration of 𝘈𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘱’𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴 at the Library of Congress, look at this lovely blog post written nearly a decade ago. https://blogs.loc.gov/international-collections/2017/04/aesops-fables-at-the-library-of-congress/
Since then, many of the Library’s Fables have been digitized and are available to read and download for free online at loc.gov. And now, too, so is this very first Greek version of the fables published in the newly independent United States. If you’d like to step back in time and find out what Greek texts American students in the early nineteenth century were engaging with, Æ𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘪 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭æ 𝘎𝘳æ𝘤𝘰-𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯æ. : 𝘊𝘶𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘴, 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢. : 𝘌𝘵 𝘢𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪æ 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭æ 𝘌𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 is a great example! https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdc.00549689644/
Aesop. Æ𝘴𝘰𝘱𝘪 𝘧𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘭æ 𝘎𝘳æ𝘤𝘰-𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯æ.: 𝘊𝘶𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘴, 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢.: 𝘌𝘵 𝘢𝘥 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪æ 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭æ 𝘌𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢. Bostonii: Sumptibus Cummings et Hillard. Cantabrigiæ. Hilliard et Metcalf typographis, 1812. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2025393084/
