The story of a fountain of youth goes back many centuries. Herodotus (425 – 484 BC) talked about a group he called the Macrobians who lived somewhere in modern day Ethiopia. He said they remained youthful, were physically strong and lived a long time. Calling it a fountain of youth came much later. The stories of Ponce de León and his search for a fountain of youth developed after his death. There is no mention of such a goal in any of his orders. In 1535 the Spanish historian Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés first stated Ponce de León was searching for a fountain of youth. The legend was repeated by later writers and embellished.