#16: The Beginnings of Urban Legends: The Giant Octopus Tale
Ancient Rome’s tales reveal that urban legends didn’t start in modern times. Aelian, a writer from the 3rd century AD, recorded a groundbreaking urban legend about a giant octopus wreaking havoc on Puteoli.

The legend tells of an octopus bored with ocean fare who invaded the city via sewers to devour pickled fish from a shop, requiring a collective effort to subdue or slay it.
