Rhodopis Was Cinderella's Earliest Heroine

The story behind Cinderella may predate Christianity by centuries. Its earliest known variant follows a Greek slave girl named Rhodopis, whose historical inspiration lived during the 6th century BC. Greek geographer Strabo recorded the tale in his Geographica sometime between about 7 BC and AD 24. In the story, an eagle steals Rhodopis's sandal and drops it into an Egyptian king's lap, prompting him to search for her and make her his wife.

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