Isis-Epiphany in the Life of Aesop:

What is it about?

The paper offers a structural analysis of the first nine chapters of the Life of Aesop, here viewed as an organic whole consisting of three sub-parts. The central section is the scene involving the epiphany of Isis, during which Aesop acquires his voice (chapters 4-8), whilst chapters 1-3 and 9 provide the frame for this miracle. I argue that the introductory narrative of the Life is structured around the goddess Isis, who is the motivating agent for the entire plot, and that the author skillfully uses religious elements from the worship of Isis, in order to establish a firm connection between Aesop and Isis and the texture behind the narrative of the introduction.

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