On the Nature of Animals

Aelian's On the Nature of Animals is a 17-book work filled with curious stories about birds and other animals. These narratives often take the form of anecdotes, folklore, or fables, typically with a moral lesson. This collection of animal tales established a format that influenced later bestiaries and medical texts throughout the Middle Ages. Aelian, a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric, wrote fluently in Greek, earning him the nickname "Honey-tongued". He was an admirer of classical writers like Plato and Aristotle. His work preserves many excerpts from earlier authors, making it a valuable source of ancient knowledge.1