PHAEDRUS

PHAEDRUS Gaius Julius (Greek: Phaîdros) (c. 15 BC–c. AD 50) was a 1st-century Roman fabulist and the first versifier of a collection of Aesop's fables into Latin. He was born in Greek Macedonia, probably in Pydna, came to Rome as a slave and was freed by Augustus. Phaedrus probably had some teaching function between then and the time of Tiberius, under whom the first book of his poems appeared. Surviving the turbulent times into old age, possibly under Caligula and Claudius, he produced two more books and died towards the middle of the first century AD.
A 9th century manuscript of the fables of Phaedrus was only discovered in France towards the end of the 16th century.  This was published in 1596 by Pierre Pithou as Fabularum Aesopiarum libri quinque and was followed by two more editions before century’s end.