Octopus Was the First Urban Legend
If stories from ancient Rome are anything to go by, urban legends are not a modern creation. Aelian, a writer from the 3rd century AD, was one of the first people to document what’s considered one of the first urban legends, the story of a giant octopus who terrorized the city of Puteoli.
According to the legend, the octopus grew tired of its sea diet and ventured into the city through the sewer system to feast on pickled fish in a merchant’s shop. The creature was so large that it took a group effort to capture or kill it.
