# Aeschylus and the turtle

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 5, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157 "2004-12-05T02:55:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157/1 "2004-12-05T02:55:34Z")

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Did he actually die when a turtle fell on his head?

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**Author:** ![violacrane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c57346/32.png) [@violacrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/violacrane)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157/2 "2004-12-05T03:46:23Z")

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So far as I know yes, only it was a tortoise dropped by an eagle which mistook Aeschylus’ head for a stone against which the shell would break. Well it had to happen to someone…

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**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157/3 "2004-12-05T22:54:00Z")

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Not many people know the only reason the eagle was deceived into mistaking Aeschylus’ bald pate for a rock was the poor thing was suffering from food poisoning. It had eaten some bad oysters earlier, and was delerious from nasuea.

Aeschylus was the victim of an Illeagle act of violence.

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**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157/4 "2004-12-06T00:21:31Z")

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Given that there are no surviving videotapes or living eyewitnesses, I don’t see how we could overrule the accepted version of his death.

Unless it was by Professor Plum in the Library with the Candlestick.

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**Author:** ![Melandry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Melandry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melandry)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157/5 "2004-12-06T01:35:57Z")

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Regard all biographical information on Ancient Greek writers as extremely suspect! Especially pictoresque and/or ironic death stories. These sorts of anecdotes are generally derived from Byzantine-era biographical notes with god-knows-what-if-any research behind them. Some of the time they are very obviously cribbed from the author’s own (not at all autobiographical) work.

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**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157/6 "2004-12-06T01:53:39Z")

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> [@The Sonoran Lizard King](#):
>
> Aeschylus was the victim of an Illeagle act of violence.

I do not even know how to respond to this, other than possibly calling up some politician and having jokes this cruel outlawed.

It _hurts_ to groan and laugh and bang my head all at the same time.

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**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aeschylus-and-the-turtle/278157/7 "2004-12-06T05:10:58Z")

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> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#):
>
> I do not even know how to respond to this, other than possibly calling up some politician and having jokes this cruel outlawed.
> 
> It _hurts_ to groan and laugh and bang my head all at the same time.

When Punning is outlawed, only outlaws will pun.

SLK, Outlaw Punner. I should add that to my sig. My SO has promised me dire consequenses, for punning, at least before coffee.