Although the three hundred fables in Aesop's Fables are attributed to Aesop, and his name is synonymous with the form, it seems unlikely he was in fact anything more than a legendary figure. While some historical accounts maintain he was a slave with a prodigious talent for story-telling who lived during the sixth century B.C., many believe it unlikely that this whole stock of fables can be attributed to one individual. What does seem clear though is that the fables began their life being orally transmitted before being put down in writing.