They never awoke again, having died there during the night. The Argives commemorated them with statues sent to Delphi. Croesus was now properly irked at Solon for awarding the second prize for happiness to these two Argive youths. You see, Croesus, what an unpredictable and risky thing life is. Though you are rich and rule many subjects, I cannot truthfully answer your question till I know the manner of your death.
Great wealth is no better than moderate means unless a man's luck holds out to the end.
Whoever possesses the most of the good things I described before and retains them till he meets a peaceful death, that man, Croesus, ought to be called happy. In all things, you should look to the end, for the gods can let a man taste happiness and then completely shatter him. Ziegler, K., ed., Plutarchi vitae parallelae , vol. Histoires , vol. A World History Reader , ed.