Croesus Croesus See More Croesus Pictures > Croesus was a king of Lydia, whose reign lasted for fourteen years. He was well known for the wealth he had amassed. He was the creator of the first true gold coins that had a specific purity of the metal. According to a source, Croesus met the sage Solon and showed him how much wealth he had. He then asked who he believed the happiest man in the world was. Croesus was disappointed by the answer he received, as Solon told him three people were happier than him; Tellus, who died fighting for his country; and Cleobis and Biton , two brothers, who died peacefully after showing their immense devotion and love towards their mother. Later, Croesus accepted the Phrygian prince Adrastus to his court, who had fled from his country after accidentally killing his brother. One night, Croesus had a prophetic dream that his son Atys would be killed by a spear, so he forbade his son from leading any military attacks.

Soon, the neighbour province of Mysia asked Croseus for help, as a boar destroyed the lands and crops, and Croesus , thinking that this would be safe, sent Atys and Adrastus to lead the hunt. During the hunt, Adrastus killed Atys by mistake, and was later absolved by Croesus . Nevertheless, Adrastus committed suicide. Croesus - Greek Mythology Link About • Copyright © 1997 Carlos Parada and Maicar Förlag. Croesus advanced Man from Persia, the country which destroyed Croesus' Lydian kingdom. 5103: Kneeling Persian. Roman after Hellenistic original 2C AD. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. "As for Solon 's interview with Croesus, some think to prove by chronology that it is fictitious.

But when a story is so famous and so well-attested, and, what is more to the point, when it comports so well with the character of Solon , and is so worthy of his magnanimity and wisdom, I do not propose to reject it out of deference to any chronological canons, so called, which thousands are to this day revising, without being able to bring their contradictions into any general agreement." (Plutarch, Parallel Lives Solon 27.1). "… even I cannot eradicate from myself that passion for wealth which the gods have put into the human soul and by which they have made us all poor alike, but I, too, am as insatiate of wealth as other people are.

However, I think I am different from most people, in that others, when they have acquired more than a sufficiency, bury some of their treasure and allow some to decay, and some they weary themselves with counting, measuring, weighing, airing, and watching; and though they have so much at home, they never eat more than they can hold, for they would burst if they did, and they never wear more than they can carry, for they would be suffocated if they did; they only find their superfluous treasure a burden." (Cyrus to Croesus. Xenophon, Cyropaedia 8.2.20-21). King Croesus of Lydia became proverbial for his wealth and the prosperity of his kingdom. His life and deeds crossed the border between Myth and History. And Croesus himself, having been double-crossed by the oracles, crossed with an army the river separating his country from that of the Persians, causing thereby his own ruin.

King of Lydia History, and not the myths, affirms that Croesus reigned, as last king of Lydia, from 560 to 546 BC, over all peoples and cities between the Aegean coast of Asia Minor in the west and the river Halys in the East, having as his capital the city of Sardis, which is between Mount Tmolus and the river Hermos. Kings of Sardis Sardis is said to have been founded by Sardo, son of Sthenelus 7, otherwise unknown. But the country Lydia, previously known as land of the Meii, was called after King Lydus, son either of Heracles 1 , or of Atys 3 and Callithea, daughter of Choraeus. The first king of Lydia was Manes, son of Zeus and Gaia . He had, by the Oceanid Callirrhoe 1, two sons: Atys 3 and Cotys 2. However, Atys 3 is also said to have been the son of Cotys 2 and Halie 2, daughter of Tyllus, an autochthon .

Whatever the case may be, it was Atys 3, a descendant of Heracles 1 and Omphale, who succeeded his father Manes on the throne. Descendants of Heracles 1 When the throne had thus passed from Manes to Atys 3 and from Atys 3 to Lydus, it came into the hands of Agron 2, who could or not be the same that History remembers as Adadnirari III. Agron 2 was the son of the Assyrian queen Semiramis, who lived about 810 BC and turned, at her death, into a white dove, a quite natural event, if one remembers that her mother Dercetis 1, a Babylonian, had previously turned into a fish. Semiramis, who ended her life by committing suicide, was married to Ninus, whom she murdered. Ninus, credited with the foundation of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrians, was known as son of Belus 3, son of Alcaeus 6, son of Heracles 1 and Omphale, or of Heracles 1 and a female slave of King Iardanus, otherwise called father of Omphale.

In addition, some suggest that this Heracles was not Heracles 1 , but instead an Asiatic god or man. The naked queen In any case, the line of Agron 2 ruled in Sardis down to Candaules, who lost his throne for being limitless obsessed with his wife's beauty. For it happened that Candaules, being unable to control his idée fixe, and knowing that men trust their ears less than their eyes, not only told his favorite bodyguard Gyges about her beauty, but also wished him to watch the queen naked from a hiding place. At first, Gyges refused, entreating his master not to ask lawless acts of him. But when the king insisted, he had to consent, and was brought by Candaules himself to the queen's chamber, at bed time. The queen laid her garments aside, and Gyges saw her naked. But on leaving the room, she detected him and understood what her husband had contrived.

At the moment she said nothing, but having decided to punish Candaulesfor as they say it was a great shame among the Lydians to be seen nakedshe called Gyges the next day, giving him the following choice: either to kill Candaules and take her as wife along with the throne, or himself be killed. Gyges entreated her not to impose on him such a choice, but he could not move her more than he had moved Candaules when the whole affair started. This is why Gyges plotted against his master, and following the queen's instructions, he came out from the same hiding place, and slew the sleeping king with the dagger that she had given him for that purpose. Vengeance in the fifth generation The regicide caused a revolt, but Gyges and the Lydians agreed that if the Oracle of Delphi should confirm him in power, then he should reign. And since the oracle did so ordain, the descendants of Heracles 1 lost the sovereignty, and Gyges became king.

Yet some have said that the family of Croesus also descended from Heracles 1 and Omphale through their son Agelaus 1, who could or not be the same as Lamus 1, or Hyllus 3. The oracle also said that vengeance would fall upon Gyges' posterity in the fifth generation, which proved to be Croesus', for Croesus is son of Alyattes, son of Sadyattes, son of Ardys, son of Gyges (himself son of Dascylus). But at the time, Gyges had all reasons to be grateful to the oracle, and that is why he is reported to have been the first foreigner, after King Midas , to send many valuable offerings in silver and gold to Delphi . Gyges and successors Gyges kept great devotion for the woman who had been his mistress and whom he won as wife through murder, letting her rule the country. And when she died, he honoured her with a monument high enough as to be seen from the region about Mount Tmolus and many parts of Lydia.

Gyges, who reigned thirty-eight years, took the city of Colophon and started a long war against Miletus that was inherited by his successors, until peace was agreed between Thrasybulus, ruler of Miletus, and Gyges' great grandson Alyattes, contemporary of King Periander, under whose reign Arion 2 was rescued by a dolphin. Alyattes is said to have married twice, having children by both women, one from Caria and the second from Ionia . It is said that the latter plotted against her stepson Croesus, giving poison to the woman who baked the bread, and telling her to knead it into it. But the baker warned Croesus, and served the bread to the stepmother's children instead. It is for this reason that later, when Croesus became a wealthy king, he let a golden statue of the baker be made, and offered it at Delphi .

King Croesus When Alyattes died, his thirty-five years old son by the Carian womanCroesuscame to the throne, probably in 560 BC, having destroyed a faction that conspired to win the throne for his half-brother Pantaleon, son of Alyattes by the Ionian mother. When Croesus was victorious, he confiscated the estate of his enemy and put him to death by drawing him across a carding-comb. It was under Croesus' rule that the Greeks living in the Asiatic mainland were made tributary for the first time, and that all other nations west of the river Halys were subdued, becoming his subjects. This successful expansion resulted in great wealth, and since wealth, along with the power that derives from it, attracts many, including the wise, Sardis became the magnet of its time, being visited, as they say, by many teachers from Hellas. For teachers go preferably where their wages can be paid, and not necessarily where their knowledge is more needed.

And there they met Croesus, the great potentate of his time, who "… was decked out with everything in the way of precious stones, dyed raiment, and wrought gold that men deem remarkable, or extravagant, or enviable, in order that he might present a most august and gorgeous spectacle." (Plutarch, Parallel Lives Solon 27.2). Solon visits Croesus Among the wise men who visited Sardis, they say, was the Athenian statesman and poet Solon (c. 640  c. 560 BC), whom Croesus entertained in his palace, showing him the treasures, greatness and prosperity of his country; for besides being spent, wealth may also be used to cause admiration. After having thus acquainted his visitor with the country's riches, Croesus, who supposed himself to be the most blessed man, asked Solon who was renowned for his wisdom and for having seen the world and traveled far while seeking knowledgeif he had ever seen a man more happy than he.

Solon , however, gave the first prize of happiness to an inconspicuous Athenian, and when asked again, he gave the second to a couple of Argive brothers, which caused Croesus to exclaim: "… Is our prosperity, then, held by you so worthless that you match us not even with common men." (Croesus to Solon . Herodotus, History 1.32). Solon replied that the life of man was entirely chance, being completely unknown what any day might bring. And then, speaking of his host, he added: "To me you seem to be very rich and to be king of many people, but I cannot answer your question before I learn that you ended your life well. The very rich man is not more fortunate than the man who has only his daily needs, unless he chances to end his life with all well. Many very rich men are unfortunate, many of moderate means are lucky. The man who is very rich but unfortunate surpasses the lucky man in only two ways, while the lucky surpasses the rich but unfortunate in many.

The rich man is more capable of fulfilling his appetites and of bearing a great disaster that falls upon him, and it is in these ways that he surpasses the other. The lucky man is not so able to support disaster or appetite as is the rich man, but his luck keeps these things away from him, and he is free from deformity and disease, has no experience of evils, and has fine children and good looks. If besides all this he ends his life well, then he is the one whom you seek, the one worthy to be called fortunate. But refrain from calling him fortunate before he dies; call him lucky … Whoever passes through life with the most and then dies agreeably is the one who, in my opinion…deserves to bear this name. It is necessary to see how the end of every affair turns out, for heaven promises fortune to many people and then utterly ruins them." ( Solon to Croesus. Herodotus, History 1.32). Wisdom, Power and Tact This was Solon 's view on the subject of happiness.

But since he seemed to disregard prosperity, concentrating mainly in the end of every matter, Croesus concluded that his visitor was a man of no account, and sent him away accordingly. Aesop the fabulist, who flourished in the same period of time as the Seven Sages (among which Solon was counted), remarked once: "These men do not know how to act in the company of a ruler; for a man should associate with rulers either as little as possible, or with the best grace possible." (Diodorus, The Library of History 9.28.1ff.). But for all his tact, Aesop could not escape being killed by the Delphians on a false charge of sacrilege, when he had come to make an offering in Croesus' name. Others say that Aesop, knowing that Croesus had not treated Solon kindly, brought up the subject with the Athenian statesman: Aesop: "O Solon , our converse with kings should be either as rare, or as pleasing as is possible." Solon : "No, indeed, but either as rare or as beneficial as is possible." (Plutarch, Parallel Lives Solon 28.1).

Still others seem to have deemed these encounters unavoidable, probably because those who have wisdom usually lack wealth, and those who have wealth usually lack wisdom: "It is natural for wisdom and great power to come together, and they are for ever pursuing and seeking each other and consorting together." (Plato, Letters 310e). Croesus' children Croesus had children, apparently both sons and daughters. One of the sons, being both deaf and dumb, meant very little for Croesus. But the one he loved was accidentally killed while hunting by a Phrygian whom Croesus had received in his own house after cleansing him for the death of his brother, whom he had slain, also accidentally. The Phrygian declared that he did not deserve to live, but Croesus, who at first was angry at him, decided not to punish him, blaming his own fortune rather than the intent of the young Phrygian. Nevertheless, the Phrygian, having killed two men by accident, went to the tomb of Croesus' son, and slew himself upon it.

Croesus would destroy a great empire It was a couple of years after the death of his beloved son that Croesus started to worry about the growth of the power of the Persians, conceiving a preemptive war against them. With this purpose in mind, he consulted and tested the credibility of several oracles, being more satisfied with the answers provided by the one at Delphi , and the oracle of Amphiaraus at Thebes . And having offered many gifts to both, he sent Lydian envoys to inquire the following: "Shall Croesus send an army against the Persians: and shall he take to himself any allied host?" (Herodotus, History 1.53). Both oracles, they say, gave the same answer, namely that if he should send an army against the Persians he would destroy a great empire. And they also advised him to make alliance with the mightiest of powers in Hellas.

Pleased with these answers (as well as with the previous tests), he sent splendid gifts to Delphi , which in turn pleased the Delphians so much that they granted him and the Lydians the right of first consulting the oracle, freedom from charges, the best seats at festivals, and life-long right of Delphian citizenship to whoever should wish. And following the oracle, Croesus sent messengers to Sparta , and made an alliance with the Lacedaemonians. A mule king Having obtained such privileges at Delphi , Croesus made yet an inquiry, asking whether his sovereignty should last long. And the answer of the Pythia was: "Lydian, beware of the day when a mule is lord of the Medians." (Herodotus, History 1.55). This answer also pleased Croesus, for he did not deem likely that a mule would ever be king of the Medians instead of a man. Sandanis' counsel Now, war is always a dangerous business to be feared and respected, no matter which side strength and surprise and other factors seem to favor, for unexpected turns, sometimes having far reaching effects, can never be dismissed.

And since what is risked through war should be carefully compared with the eventual gains of a successful campaign, the Lydian wise man Sandanis counseled Croesus in the following manner, when he was preparing to march against the Persians: "O King, you are making ready to march against men who wear trousers of leather and their other garments of the same, and who eat not what they desire but what they have; for their land is stony. Further they use no wine, but are water drinkers, nor have they figs to eat, nor aught else that is good. Now if you conquer them, of what will you deprive them, seeing that they have nothing? But if on the other hand you are conquered, then see how many good things you will lose …" (Sandanis to Croesus. Herodotus, History 1.71). Fears growing power Yet Croesus, seeing how Cyrus had gained control over the land of the Medes, making himself the master of their vast territory, and thereby bringing the Persians to the eastern bank of the river Halys, chose to disregard Sandanis' counsel, and put his forces in motion.

It is told that Croesus, among other measures, dispatched an agentEurybatus of Ephesuswith money to recruit Greek mercenaries, but Eurybatus, they say, went over to the enemy, revealing to Cyrus his master's plans. Crosses the border Having led his army to the border, Croesus crossed the river Halys at a place not far from Sinope in the coast of the Black Sea, either through bridges, or being helped by the celebrated sage Thales of Miletus, who by digging a semicircular trench, turned the course of the river, causing part of its stream to flow in the trench to the rear of the Lydian camp, and passing it, return to its former bed. Croesus began his campaign laying waste farms, enslaving cities, and driving the inhabitants from their homes. But then King Cyrus (who is the elder Cyrus, the son of Cambyses), a man fortunate in war, and renowned for being a wise ruler, came to meet the invader, gathering more men as he marched and campaigned against many foes in Asia.

It is told that before the battle Cyrus sent messengers to Croesus, saying that he would forgive him and appoint him satrap of Lydia if Croesus presented himself at the Persian court acknowledging Cyrus as his master. But Croesus answered that Cyrus should submit instead, given that until then the Persians had been under Median rule. Return to Sardis The Lydian army, supported among others by Egyptian units, attempted to surround the Persians, but failed. Some have said that the battle ended in stalemate, and others that the Lydians were defeated. In any case Croesus has been reported to have judged prudent to march away to Sardis. Having returned to his capital, Croesus summoned his allies, among which the Lacedaemonians, to join him at Sardis in five months time for a spring campaign against the Persians, and in the meantime, some say, he disbanded many of his Lydian units, believing that after such equal encounter the Persian king would not dare to march against his capital.

Portents reported At this moment, portents were reported to have been witnessed in the outer part of Sardis, such as horses devouring snakes, which seers, with their usual sharp-wittedness, interpreted as a sign of invaders conquering the country. For the snakes, they claimed, represent the children of the earth, and the horses stand for the enemy and the foreigner. They were right, for Cyrus, having learned of the state of the Lydian army, and caring little for the previous stalemate, marched with all speed against Sardis without giving Croesus any chance to assemble his forces again. Sardis beleaguered The Lydian king, however, led the remains of his army to the plain that is before the city, arraying his skilled cavalry to meet the invaders. But Cyrus, they say, assembled all the camels he normally used for transportation of food and baggage, setting men upon them equipped like cavalrymen, and behind them he put his infantry, and behind the infantry he put his horsemen. And in this manner, they tell, when the Lydian horses saw the Persian camels, they were frightened, and the battle being thereby lost, Sardis was beleaguered.

Sardis taken At first, the Persian army made unsuccessful assaults. But when fourteen days had passed, the Persians discovered a certain part of the citadel neglected by the defence because of its height and difficult access, and climbing up on this side, which faces towards Mount Tmolus, the Persians succeeded in taking the city. This fortunate discovery was made by a Persian soldier called Hyroeades, who during the days of siege, observed a Lydian defender descending by this part of the citadel in order to fetch a helmet that had fallen down. It has also been told that, in former timeswhen King Meles ruled Sardishis concubine borne him a lion. It was then declared that if the lion were carried round the walls, Sardis would never be taken. Meles, they say, did as it was prophesied and carried the beast round the walls. However, he excepted that part of the acropolis which he judged impossible to attack on account of its height. And it was precisely here that Hyroeades and the rest of the Persians climbed up, taking the city.

Pyre for Croesus (I) Croesus, some assert, had prepared himself for this day of utter defeat. And being determined to escape slavery he had built a pyre, which he mounted together with his wife and daughters, when the Persians were about to sack the city. The women were weeping inconsolably as he, while reproaching Apollo 's ingratitude, ordered a slave to kindle the pyre. It was then that Zeus sent the rain-cloud that quenched the flames, and Apollo came to bring Croesus and his family to live among the Hyperboreans … "… since of all mortals he sent the greatest gifts to holy Pytho." (Bacchylides, Odes 3.64). … and as if it were suspected that some could find this impossible, it is added: "Nothing is unbelievable which is brought about by the gods' ambition." (Bacchylides, Odes 3.57).

Mute speaks But others tell otherwise, affirming that during the sack of Sardis a Persian soldier came at Croesus with intent of killing him, not because he wished to disobey King Cyrus, who had given orders to capture Croesus alive, but becauseas it often happenshe did not know who Croesus was. And when Croesus' dumb son, who at the moment was with his father, saw the Persian soldier coming, he, who had never uttered a single word, broke into speech and exclaimed: "Man, do not kill Croesus!" (Croesus' son to the Persian soldier. Herodotus, History 1.85). In this way another oracle was fulfilled which had prophesied that Croesus' son would speak some unfortunate day: "O you of Lydian stock, over many king. You great fool Croesus: never wish to hear within your halls the much-desired sound of your son speaking. Better far for you that he remain apart; for the first words he speaks shall be upon a luckless day." (Diodorus, The Library of History 9.33.2).

The Persian soldier then, obeying his king, spared the life of Croesus, who was made a prisoner after fourteen years of reign and fourteen days of siege. This is how the oracle was fulfilled, for by attacking the Persians the king of Lydia destroyed a great empire, as it had been foretold. Pyre for Croesus (II) It is now that the pyre appears, others assert, and he who had it built was not Croesus but Cyrus, although the man to be burned on it was the same. And so, while Sardis was still being sacked, Croesus saw himself bound in chains together with fourteen Lydian boys, all awaiting death by the flames. As he stood in this evil plight, he remembered Solon , the man who used to concentrate in the end of every matter and who, years ago, had not wished to call anyone happy before his death. And sighing and groaning Croesus said " Solon , Solon , Solon …", being then heard by Cyrus, who now bade interpreters to ask him what Croesus meant (for Solon was not so well known then as he is now).

Croesus was reluctant to speak, but being harassed, he finally said "I would prefer to great wealth his coming into discourse with all despots." (Croesus to the Persians. Herodotus, History 1.86). … but as this was still unintelligible they asked again, and Croesus told them about Solon and all his sayings, which greatly admired Cyrus. In the meantime, and while this wholesome conversation between Croesus and the Persians was taking place, the flames in the outer parts of the pyre grew higher and higher, as if reminding them that there is always very little time for wisdom. Now Cyrus, seizing the meaning of that narrow instant, considered that there was no purpose in burning alive a man that had once been as fortunate as himself, and ordered to quench the fire and bring Croesus and the Lydian boys down from the pyre. However his servants, for all their efforts, could not master the fire. And when it seemed that it was too late the rain fell from clouds gathered in a clear and windless sky, when Croesus, having seen Cyrus' repentance, invoked Apollo , the god whom he had pleased with so many gifts.

And as this most violent rain quenched the fire, Cyrus, perceiving that Croesus was beloved of the gods, brought him down from the pyre and set him near to himself. And since Cyrus changed his mind on account of what Croesus had told about Solon it was later said that: " Solon had the reputation of saving one king and instructing another by means of a single saying." (Plutarch, Parallel Lives Solon 28.4). Plunder Having escaped death in such an extraordinary manner, Croesus sat in silence with his thoughts. But then, seeing how the Persian army sacked the city, he asked Cyrus what they were doing, and the following dialogue followed: Cyrus: "They are plundering your city and carrying off your possessions." Croesus: "Nay, not my city, nor my possessions; for I have no longer any share of all this; it is your wealth that they are ravishing …" (Herodotus, History 1.89). Having said this and noticing that the Persian king listened to him, Croesus counseled him as to how to deal properly with the matter of spoils of war.

But others say that Cyrus himself knew from the beginning how to handle the matter of plunder, and that he, during the taking of Sardis, threatened those among his allies who were guilty of insubordination and had run into the city to get plunder from the houses. In any case Croesus' insights pleased Cyrus, who having praised him greatly, took the possessions of the inhabitants of Sardis for the Royal Treasury. Croesus becomes wiser Cyrus, they say, gave Croesus a place in his council, believing him to be a sagacious man for having associated with so many men of learning. Some believe that these are the reasons why Cyrus attained so much greatness, for he treated all those he subdued with the same consideration and respect that he treated Croesus, thus appearing more as a benefactor than as a conqueror. In that manner the fame of his clemency spread all over the world, and many wished to become his allies. Despite his newly acquired wisdom, and despite the fact that he had just been saved by an unexpected rain after invoking Apollo , Croesus was still bitter against the oracles that had, as he saw it, double-crossed him.

So when Cyrus, who now had come to like his prisoner, asked him for whatever boon he desired, Croesus bade the king to let him send his own chains to Delphi , as a reproach to the god that had deluded him. Oracles explained This is why Lydians came to Delphi carrying Croesus' chains, and asking if the god was not ashamed for having encouraged Croesus to attack the Persians. But there they learned from the Pythia that Croesus was the man appointed by fatefor belonging to the fifth generationto pay for the death of Candaules, whom Gyges, ancestor of Croesus, had murdered. Moreover, the Pythia said, Apollo had wished that Sardis had fallen after Croesus' time, but he could not turn the purpose of the MOERAE . Therefore the god could only favor Croesus in so far as they would accept, being able just to delay the taking of Sardis for three years and save Croesus from the pyre.

Besides, the Pythian priestess added, the oracle had rightly declared that if Croesus should lead an army against the Persians he would destroy a great empire, and it had been up to Croesus himself to further ask which empire was meant. Croesus, the Pythia continued, did not understand either the oracle concerning the mule, by which Cyrus himself had been meant, for this king was the son of two persons belonging to different nations. And whereas his mother was nobler for being a Median princess, his father was a Persian of lesser estate under Median rule. These were the Pythia's answers, and on learning about them, Croesus, they say, admitted that he was to blame and not Loxias (who is Apollo , the Oblique). The Persians reach the Aegean Sea Such is the story of Croesus, chosen by fate to pay for Gyges' crime, and remembered for his wealth. Yet he did believe that happiness was a greater good than wealth: otherwise he had not called to his court the wisest men of his time, whom he generously sent away with many presents.

An important part of his wealth he used for military purposes, but he believed that Heaven rules, and not strength: otherwise he had not sent so many valuable gifts to Delphi and other places. He lacked talent to understand oracles, but he understood enough to put the interpreters of the gods to the test, showing that his piety was not blind. When his empire was destroyed, the Persians came to the Aegean Sea, subduing the Greeks of the Asiatic mainland, threatening the islanders and indeed the whole of Hellas.

Other anecdotes about Croesus Anacharsis , a wise Scythian prince Anacharsis , who traveled much in Hellas, visited also Croesus in Lydia, where they had this conversation: Croesus: "Whom do you consider to be the bravest of living beings?" Anacharsis : "The wildest animals; for they alone willingly die in order to maintain their freedom." Croesus: "Whom do you judge to be the most just of living beings?" Anacharsis : "The wildest animals; for they alone live in accordance with nature, not in accordance with laws; since nature is a work of God, while law is an ordinance of man, and it is more just to follow the institutions of God than those of men." Croesus: "And are the beasts, then, also the wisest?" Anacharsis : "The peculiar characteristic of wisdom consists in showing a greater respect to the truth which nature imparts than to the ordinance of the law." Croesus, they say, laughed at him and at his answers, which he thought to be the natural answers of a barbarian from Scythia (Diodorus, The Library of History 9.26.3ff.).

Pittacus of Mytilene (c. 650-570 BC), a statesman and a wise man Croesus is said to have offered Pittacus as much riches from his treasury as he wished to take, but Pittacus refused the gift, saying that he already had twice as much as he wished. Croesus, amazed as always, although this time at Pittacus ' lack of avarice, asked for the meaning of such a reply, and Pittacus said: "My brother died childless and I inherited his estate, which was the equal of my own, and I have experienced no pleasure in having received the extra amount." (Diodorus 9.12.2). Croesus of Lydia - 10 Points to Know Croesus of Lydia Why You Should Know About King Croesus of Lydia 10 Points to Know About Croesus Croesus. Clipart.com Share By N.S. Gill You should know the name of Croesus not only for what he did but because Croesus was connected with many other famous figures, including Aesop , Solon , Midas , Thales , and Cyrus .

King Croesus encouraged trade and mining, and his resultant wealth was legendary -- as was much of his life. Below are 10 points to be familiar with about Croesus. Have you read Aesop 's fables about the clever and not-so smart animals? Croesus gave that Aesop an appointment in his court. Croesus was so wealthy, his name became synonymous with wealth. Thus, Croesus is the subject of the simile "rich as Croesus". One might say "Bill Gates is as rich as Croesus." Solon of Athens was a very wise man who made laws for Athens , for which reason he is called Solon the law-giver. It was in conversation with Croesus, who had all the wealth he could want and was, seemingly, perfectly happy, that Solon said, "count no man happy until his death." Croesus is said to have derived his wealth from King Midas ' (the man with the golden touch) gold deposits in the river Pactolus. According to Herodotus, Croesus was the first foreigner to come in contact with the Greeks. Croesus conquered and received tribute from the Ionian Greeks .

Croesus tragically misinterpreted the oracle that told him that if he crossed a certain river he would destroy a kingdom. He didn't realize the kingdom that would be destroyed would be his own. Encyclopedia of Greek Mythology: Croesus Croesus (KREE-sus) Historical king of proverbial riches. His ancient realm lies within present-day Turkey. Croesus derived his wealth from gold deposits in the river Pactolus, said to have been left there when another king, a mythological one, washed away the Midas touch. If it weren't a jumbling of time periods and fact with fiction, one could say that the mythological king who possessed the "Midas touch" was as rich as Croesus. ( zoom ) Croesus - Ancient History Encyclopedia Croesus by Joshua J. Mark published on 02 September 2009 Croesus (pronounced 'KREE-sus') was the King of Lydia , a country in western Asia Minor (corresponding to modern-day Turkey ) from 560-547 BCE and was so wealthy that the old expression "as rich as Croesus" originates in reference to him.

His wealth, it is said, came from the sands of the River Pactolus in which the legendary King Midas washed his hands to rid himself of the 'Midas Touch' (which turned everything he laid hands on into gold ) and in so doing, the legend says, made the sands of the river rich with gold. The Lydians, either during the reign of Croesus or just before, were cited as the first people to mint coins of gold and silver in Asia Minor and it was Croesus who funded construction of the great Temple of Artemis at Ephesus , one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Although some have claimed that Croesus was largely a legendary figure, his signature at the base of one of the columns of the Temple of Artemis (now on display at the British Museum) is evidence that he was an actual historical king who ruled from the city of Sardis . It was Croesus who funded construction of the great Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders .

Although Croesus is mentioned by Xenophon and Ctesias, among others, two of the most famous stories regarding him come from the Histories of Herodotus (1.29-45 and 1.85-89). The first has to do with the great Athenian lawgiver Solon the Wise. Solon travelled throughout Anatolia and down to Egypt and came, at last, to the palace of Croesus at Sardis. Croesus was overjoyed to have so illustrious a visitor and was anxious to show off his treasuries and, after Solon had inspected them, asked him who, of all the men he had met in his travels, he would call the most happy. Solon answered, “Tellus of Athens .” Croesus, upset that he himself had not been named, asked why Tellus. Solon answered that Tellus had lived well and happily, had a beautiful family, and had died gloriously for Athens in battle .

Croesus, conceding this was a good life, and hoping he would at least be named second, then asked Solon who else he would consider the happiest of men he had met; Solon answered: Remove Ads Advertisement The brothers Cleobis and Bito of the Argive race” and explained why, noting again a life well lived and a good death. Croesus, angered now, shouted: "Man of Athens, am I not the happiest man in the world? Dost thou count my happiness as nothing?" Solon replied calmly: “In truth, I count no man happy until his death, for no man can know what the gods may have in store for him. He who unites the greatest number of advantages, and retaining them to the day of his death, then dies peaceably, that man alone, sire, is in my judgment entitled to bear the name of 'happy.' But in every matter it behooves us to mark well the end: for oftentimes God gives men a gleam of happiness, and then plunges them into ruin.

Croesus sent Solon away, thinking his reputation for wisdom overrated, but would soon learn the truth of what Solon had said through the events narrated by Herodotus' second story. The first misfortune to come upon Croesus was the death of his son Atys, killed while hunting a boar in Olympus (and, ironically, killed by the man whom Croesus had sent on the hunt for the express purpose of keeping Atys safe). Croesus grieved for his son for two years until he was alerted that the Persians under Cyrus were gaining power and decided he should check them sooner rather than later. He sent to the great Oracle at Delphi to know whether he should go to war against the Persian Empire and the oracle replied: "If Croesus goes to war he will destroy a great empire." Pleased by this answer, Croesus made his necessary alliances and preparations and went out to meet the Persian army at the Halys River (which Thales of Miletus , an engineer in his corps, helped him to cross by diverting the waters). The battle at the Halys was a draw and Croesus marched his force back to Sardis where the army was disbanded for the winter.

Croesus expected Cyrus to do the same, as this was customary, but Cyrus instead pressed the attack, massacred Croesus’ cavalry in the field by mounting his own cavalry on dromedaries (whose scent frightened the Lydian horses) and captured Croesus. After the fall of Sardis, Croesus’ wife committed suicide and Croesus was dragged before Cyrus in chains. For daring to raise an army against the Persian Empire, Cyrus ordered Croesus to be burned alive along with fourteen noble Lydian youths. When Croesus saw the flames of the pyre lapping toward him, he called out for aid from Apollo to rescue him and a sudden rain shower broke overhead and put out the fire. Croesus was saved from burning to death but was still the captive of the Persian King and, remembering the words of Solon the Wise, cried out, "O Solon! Solon!

Solon!" Cyrus asked a translator what this word meant and Croesus told the story of Solon’s visit, how no man can be counted happy until after his death, and further, of how he was misled by the Oracle at Delphi who had told him that if he went to war against Cyrus he would 'destroy a great empire’ and here the 'great empire’ destroyed had been his own, not that of Cyrus. Cyrus was so moved by this story that he ordered Croesus to be released and had him send to Delphi for an answer from the god as to why he was betrayed. The answer came back that the Oracle had spoken only truth - a great empire had, in fact, been destroyed by Croesus – and it was not the fault of the god if man misinterpreted his words. Cyrus felt sorry for Croesus and, according to some sources, kept him on as a wise counsellor. This positive account of Croesus' end has been disputed by many scholars both ancient and modern. According to other accounts, the god Apollo carried Croesus and his family away after the fall of Sardis and they all lived happily ever after.

Most modern-day scholars and historians believe that Croesus died on the pyre but that the ancients of the 4th century BCE did not care for that ending to the life of so wealthy and powerful a king. The story of Croesus served as a cautionary tale among the Greeks on hubris and a warning on not tempting the gods’ wrath by thinking of oneself as the happiest person in the world. King Croesus biography | birthday, trivia | Military Leader | Who2 King Croesus Biography Royalty The last king of Lydia (c. 560-546 B.C.), Croesus was so famously rich that his name became a byword for wealth in the expression “rich as Croesus.” He allied Lydia (in Asia Minor, now Turkey) with Egypt and Babylonia against Persia (550-546 B.C.), but he was defeated and captured by Cyrus II the Great. Croesus was apparently friendly with the Greeks, some of whom (notably the lawgiver Solon) visited his capital at Sardis. The Lydians also contributed to the rebuilding of Greek shrines, including the Oracle at Delphi.

The best-known anecdotes about Croesus come to us by way of Herodotus , but little is known about the true magnitude of his wealth. Archaeologists studying Sardis have yet to find a royal treasury, but they have unearthed evidence that the Lydians minted pure gold and silver coins, making them one of the first civilizations to do so. After Croesus was captured he was either burned on a pyre, miraculously saved by the god Apollo or put to use as an administrator by Cyrus, depending on the legend. King Croesus Biography (Royalty/Military Leader) Birthplace: Anatolia (now Turkey) Best known as: Wealthy king of ancient Lydia in Asia Minor The last king of Lydia (c. 560-546 B.C.), Croesus was so famously rich that his name became a byword for wealth in the expression "rich as Croesus." He allied Lydia (in Asia Minor, now Turkey) with Egypt and Babylonia against Persia (550-546 B.C.), but he was defeated and captured by Cyrus II the Great.

Croesus was apparently friendly with the Greeks, some of whom (notably the lawgiver Solon) visited his capital at Sardis. The Lydians also contributed to the rebuilding of Greek shrines, including the Oracle at Delphi. The best-known anecdotes about Croesus come to us by way of Herodotus , but little is known about the true magnitude of his wealth. Archaeologists studying Sardis have yet to find a royal treasury, but they have unearthed evidence that the Lydians minted pure gold and silver coins, making them one of the first civilizations to do so. After Croesus was captured he was either burned on a pyre, miraculously saved by the god Apollo or put to use as an administrator by Cyrus, depending on the legend. Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved. Internet History Sourcebooks Ancient History Sourcebook: Herodotus: Solon and Croesus, from The Histories This part of Herodotus's History tells a famous story of the encounter between the Lydian King Croesus, reckoned as one of the richest men in the world, and Solon, the wise Athenian.

When all these conquests had been added to the Lydian empire, and the prosperity of Sardis was now at its height, there came thither, one after another, all the sages of Greece living at the time, and among them Solon, the Athenian. He was on his travels, having left Athens to be absent ten years, under the pretence of wishing to see the world, but really to avoid being forced to repeal any of the laws which, at the request of the Athenians, he had made for them. Without his sanction the Athenians could not repeal them, as they had bound themselves under a heavy curse to be governed for ten years by the laws which should be imposed on them by Solon. On this account, as well as to see the world, Solon set out upon his travels, in the course of which he went to Egypt to the court of Amasis, and also came on a visit to Croesus at Sardis. Croesus received him as his guest, and lodged him in the royal palace. On the third or fourth day after, he bade his servants conduct Solon. over his treasuries, and show him all their greatness and magnificence.

When he had seen them all, and, so far as time allowed, inspected them, Croesus addressed this question to him. "Stranger of Athens, we have heard much of thy wisdom and of thy travels through many lands, from love of knowledge and a wish to see the world. I am curious therefore to inquire of thee, whom, of all the men that thou hast seen, thou deemest the most happy?" This he asked because he thought himself the happiest of mortals: but Solon answered him without flattery, according to his true sentiments, "Tellus of Athens, sire." Full of astonishment at what he heard, Croesus demanded sharply, "And wherefore dost thou deem Tellus happiest?" To which the other replied, "First, because his country was flourishing in his days, and he himself had sons both beautiful and good, and he lived to see children born to each of them, and these children all grew up; and further because, after a life spent in what our people look upon as comfort, his end was surpassingly glorious. In a battle between the Athenians and their neighbours near Eleusis, he came to the assistance of his countrymen, routed the foe, and died upon the field most gallantly.

The Athenians gave him a public funeral on the spot where he fell, and paid him the highest honours." Thus did Solon admonish Croesus by the example of Tellus, enumerating the manifold particulars of his happiness. When he had ended, Croesus inquired a second time, who after Tellus seemed to him the happiest, expecting that at any rate, he would be given the second place. "Cleobis and Bito," Solon answered; "they were of Argive race; their fortune was enough for their wants, and they were besides endowed with so much bodily strength that they had both gained prizes at the Games. Also this tale is told of them:- There was a great festival in honour of the goddess Juno at Argos, to which their mother must needs be taken in a car. Now the oxen did not come home from the field in time: so the youths, fearful of being too late, put the yoke on their own necks, and themselves drew the car in which their mother rode. Five and forty furlongs did they draw her, and stopped before the temple. This deed of theirs was witnessed by the whole assembly of worshippers, and then their life closed in the best possible way.

Herein, too, God showed forth most evidently, how much better a thing for man death is than life. For the Argive men, who stood around the car, extolled the vast strength of the youths; and the Argive women extolled the mother who was blessed with such a pair of sons; and the mother herself, overjoyed at the deed and at the praises it had won, standing straight before the image, besought the goddess to bestow on Cleobis and Bito, the sons who had so mightily honoured her, the highest blessing to which mortals can attain. Her prayer ended, they offered sacrifice and partook of the holy banquet, after which the two youths fell asleep in the temple. They never woke more, but so passed from the earth. The Argives, looking on them as among the best of men, caused statues of them to be made, which they gave to the shrine at Delphi." When Solon had thus assigned these youths the second place, Croesus broke in angrily, "What, stranger of Athens, is my happiness, then, so utterly set at nought by thee, that thou dost not even put me on a level with private men?" "Oh!

Croesus," replied the other, "thou askedst a question concerning the condition of man, of one who knows that the power above us is full of jealousy, and fond of troubling our lot. A long life gives one to witness much, and experience much oneself, that one would not choose. Seventy years I regard as the limit of the life of man. In these seventy years are contained, without reckoning intercalary months, twenty-five thousand and two hundred days. Add an intercalary month to every other year, that the seasons may come round at the right time, and there will be, besides the seventy years, thirty-five such months, making an addition of one thousand and fifty days. The whole number of the days contained in the seventy years will thus be twenty-six thousand two hundred and fifty, whereof not one but will produce events unlike the rest. Hence man is wholly accident. For thyself, oh! Croesus, I see that thou art wonderfully rich, and art the lord of many nations; but with respect to that whereon thou questionest me, I have no answer to give, until I hear that thou hast closed thy life happily.

For assuredly he who possesses great store of riches is no nearer happiness than he who has what suffices for his daily needs, unless it so hap that luck attend upon him, and so he continue in the enjoyment of all his good things to the end of life. For many of the wealthiest men have been unfavoured of fortune, and many whose means were moderate have had excellent luck. Men of the former class excel those of the latter but in two respects; these last excel the former in many. The wealthy man is better able to content his desires, and to bear up against a sudden buffet of calamity. The other has less ability to withstand these evils (from which, however, his good luck keeps him clear), but he enjoys all these following blessings: he is whole of limb, a stranger to disease, free from misfortune, happy in his children, and comely to look upon. If, in addition to all this, he end his life well, he is of a truth the man of whom thou art in search, the man who may rightly be termed happy. Call him, however, until he die, not happy but fortunate.

Scarcely, indeed, can any man unite all these advantages: as there is no country which contains within it all that it needs, but each, while it possesses some things, lacks others, and the best country is that which contains the most; so no single human being is complete in every respect- something is always lacking. He who unites the greatest number of advantages, and retaining them to the day of his death, then dies peaceably, that man alone, sire, is, in my judgment, entitled to bear the name of 'happy.' But in every matter it behoves us to mark well the end: for oftentimes God gives men a gleam of happiness, and then plunges them into ruin." Such was the speech which Solon addressed to Croesus, a speech which brought him neither largess nor honour. The king saw him depart with much indifference, since he thought that a man must be an arrant fool who made no account of present good, but bade men always wait and mark the end. After Solon had gone away a dreadful vengeance, sent of God, came upon Croesus, to punish him, it is likely, for deeming himself the happiest of men.

First he had a dream in the night, which foreshowed him truly the evils that were about to befall him in the person of his son. For Croesus had two sons, one blasted by a natural defect, being deaf and dumb; the other, distinguished far above all his co-mates in every pursuit. The name of the last was Atys. It was this son concerning whom he dreamt a dream that he would die by the blow of an iron weapon. When he woke, he considered earnestly with himself, and, greatly alarmed at the dream, instantly made his son take a wife, and whereas in former years the youth had been wont to command the Lydian forces in the field, he now would not suffer him to accompany them. All the spears and javelins, and weapons used in the wars, he removed out of the male apartments, and laid them in heaps in the chambers of the women, fearing lest perhaps one of the weapons that hung against the wall might fall and strike him. Now it chanced that while he was making arrangements for the wedding, there came to Sardis a man under a misfortune, who had upon him the stain of blood.

He was by race a Phrygian, and belonged to the family of the king. Presenting himself at the palace of Croesus, he prayed to be admitted to purification according to the customs of the country. Now the Lydian method of purifying is very nearly the same as the Greek. Croesus granted the request, and went through all the customary rites, after which he asked the suppliant of his birth and country, addressing him as follows:- "Who art thou, stranger, and from what part of Phrygia fleddest thou to take refuge at my hearth? And whom, moreover, what man or what woman, hast thou slain?" "Oh! king," replied the Phrygian, "I am the son of Gordias, son of Midas. I am named Adrastus. The man I unintentionally slew was my own brother. For this my father drove me from the land, and I lost all. Then fled I here to thee." "Thou art the offspring," Croesus rejoined, "of a house friendly to mine, and thou art come to friends. Thou shalt want for nothing so long as thou abidest in my dominions.

Bear thy misfortune as easily as thou mayest, so will it go best with thee." Thenceforth Adrastus lived in the palace of the king. It chanced that at this very same time there was in the Mysian Olympus a huge monster of a boar, which went forth often from this mountain country, and wasted the corn-fields of the Mysians. Many a time had the Mysians collected to hunt the beast, but instead of doing him any hurt, they came off always with some loss to themselves. At length they sent ambassadors to Croesus, who delivered their message to him in these words: "Oh! king, a mighty monster of a boar has appeared in our parts, and destroys the labour of our hands. We do our best to take him, but in vain. Now therefore we beseech thee to let thy son accompany us back, with some chosen youths and hounds, that we may rid our country of the animal." Such was the tenor of their prayer. But Croesus bethought him of his dream, and answered, "Say no more of my son going with you; that may not be in any wise.

He is but just joined in wedlock, and is busy enough with that. I will grant you a picked band of Lydians, and all my huntsmen and hounds; and I will charge those whom I send to use all zeal in aiding you to rid your country of the brute." With this reply the Mysians were content; but the king's son, hearing what the prayer of the Mysians was, came suddenly in, and on the refusal of Croesus to let him go with them, thus addressed his father: "Formerly, my father, it was deemed the noblest and most suitable thing for me to frequent the wars and hunting-parties, and win myself glory in them; but now thou keepest me away from both, although thou hast never beheld in me either cowardice or lack of spirit. What face meanwhile must I wear as I walk to the forum or return from it? What must the citizens, what must my young bride think of me? What sort of man will she suppose her husband to be?

Either, therefore, let me go to the chase of this boar, or give me a reason why it is best for me to do according to thy wishes." Then Croesus answered, "My son, it is not because I have seen in thee either cowardice or aught else which has displeased me that I keep thee back; but because a vision which came before me in a dream as I slept, warned me that thou wert doomed to die young, pierced by an iron weapon. It was this which first led me to hasten on thy wedding, and now it hinders me from sending thee upon this enterprise. Fain would I keep watch over thee, if by any means I may cheat fate of thee during my own lifetime. For thou art the one and only son that I possess; the other, whose hearing is destroyed, I regard as if he were not." "Ah! father," returned the youth, "I blame thee not for keeping watch over me after a dream so terrible; but if thou mistakest, if thou dost not apprehend the dream aright, 'tis no blame for me to show thee wherein thou errest.

Now the dream, thou saidst thyself, foretold that I should die stricken by an iron weapon. But what hands has a boar to strike with? What iron weapon does he wield? Yet this is what thou fearest for me. Had the dream said that I should die pierced by a tusk, then thou hadst done well to keep me away; but it said a weapon. Now here we do not combat men, but a wild animal. I pray thee, therefore, let me go with them." "There thou hast me, my son," said Croesus, "thy interpretation is better than mine. I yield to it, and change my mind, and consent to let thee go." Then the king sent for Adrastus, the Phrygian, and said to him, "Adrastus, when thou wert smitten with the rod of affliction- no reproach, my friend- I purified thee, and have taken thee to live with me in my palace, and have been at every charge.

Now, therefore, it behoves thee to requite the good offices which thou hast received at my hands by consenting to go with my son on this hunting party, and to watch over him, if perchance you should be attacked upon the road by some band of daring robbers. Even apart from this, it were right for thee to go where thou mayest make thyself famous by noble deeds. They are the heritage of thy family, and thou too art so stalwart and strong." Adrastus answered, "Except for thy request, Oh! king, I would rather have kept away from this hunt; for methinks it ill beseems a man under a misfortune such as mine to consort with his happier compeers; and besides, I have no heart to it. On many grounds I had stayed behind; but, as thou urgest it, and I am bound to pleasure thee (for truly it does behove me to requite thy good offices), I am content to do as thou wishest.

For thy son, whom thou givest into my charge, be sure thou shalt receive him back safe and sound, so far as depends upon a guardian's carefulness." Thus assured, Croesus let them depart, accompanied by a band of picked youths, and well provided with dogs of chase. When they reached Olympus, they scattered in quest of the animal; he was soon found, and the hunters, drawing round him in a circle, hurled their weapons at him. Then the stranger, the man who had been purified of blood, whose name was Adrastus, he also hurled his spear at the boar, but missed his aim, and struck Atys. Thus was the son of Croesus slain by the point of an iron weapon, and the warning of the vision was fulfilled. Then one ran to Sardis to bear the tidings to the king, and he came and informed him of the combat and of the fate that had befallen his son. If it was a heavy blow to the father to learn that his child was dead, it yet more strongly affected him to think that the very man whom he himself once purified had done the deed.

In the violence of his grief he called aloud on Jupiter Catharsius to be a witness of what he had suffered at the stranger's hands. Afterwards he invoked the same god as Jupiter Ephistius and Hetaereus- using the one term because he had unwittingly harboured in his house the man who had now slain his son; and the other, because the stranger, who had been sent as his child's guardian, had turned out his most cruel enemy. Presently the Lydians arrived, bearing the body of the youth, and behind them followed the homicide.

He took his stand in front of the corse, and, stretching forth his hands to Croesus, delivered himself into his power with earnest entreaties that he would sacrifice him upon the body of his son- "his former misfortune was burthen enough; now that he had added to it a second, and had brought ruin on the man who purified him, he could not bear to live." Then Croesus, when he heard these words, was moved with pity towards Adrastus, notwithstanding the bitterness of his own calamity; and so he answered, "Enough, my friend; I have all the revenge that I require, since thou givest sentence of death against thyself. But in sooth it is not thou who hast injured me, except so far as thou hast unwittingly dealt the blow. Some god is the author of my misfortune, and I was forewarned of it a long time ago." Croesus after this buried the body of his son, with such honours as befitted the occasion.

Adrastus, son of Gordias, son of Midas, the destroyer of his brother in time past, the destroyer now of his purifier, regarding himself as the most unfortunate wretch whom he had ever known, so soon as all was quiet about the place, slew himself upon the tomb. Croesus, bereft of his son, gave himself up to mourning for two full years. At the end of this time the grief of Croesus was interrupted by intelligence from abroad. He learnt that Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, had destroyed the empire of Astyages, the son of Cyaxares; and that the Persians were becoming daily more powerful. This led him to consider with himself whether it were possible to check the growing power of that people before it came to a head. With this design he resolved to make instant trial of the several oracles in Greece, and of the one in Libya. So he sent his messengers in different directions, some to Delphi, some to Abae in Phocis, and some to Dodona; others to the oracle of Amphiaraus; others to that of Trophonius; others, again, to Branchidae in Milesia.

These were the Greek oracles which he consulted. To Libya he sent another embassy, to consult the oracle of Ammon. These messengers were sent to test the knowledge of the oracles, that, if they were found really to return true answers, he might send a second time, and inquire if he ought to attack the Persians. The messengers who were despatched to make trial of the oracles were given the following instructions: they were to keep count of the days from the time of their leaving Sardis, and, reckoning from that date, on the hundredth day they were to consult the oracles, and to inquire of them what Croesus the son of Alyattes, king of Lydia, was doing at that moment. The answers given them were to be taken down in writing, and brought back to him. None of the replies remain on record except that of the oracle at Delphi. There, the moment that the Lydians entered the sanctuary, and before they put their questions, the Pythoness thus answered them in hexameter verse:- I can count the sands, and I can measure the ocean; I have ears for the silent, and know what the dumb man meaneth; Lo!

on my sense there striketh the smell of a shell-covered tortoise, Boiling now on a fire, with the flesh of a lamb, in a cauldron-- Brass is the vessel below, and brass the cover above it. These words the Lydians wrote down at the mouth of the Pythoness as she prophesied, and then set off on their return to Sardis. When all the messengers had come back with the answers which they had received, Croesus undid the rolls, and read what was written in each. Only one approved itself to him, that of the Delphic oracle. This he had no sooner heard than he instantly made an act of adoration, and accepted it as true, declaring that the Delphic was the only really oracular shrine, the only one that had discovered in what way he was in fact employed. For on the departure of his messengers he had set himself to think what was most impossible for any one to conceive of his doing, and then, waiting till the day agreed on came, he acted as he had determined.

He took a tortoise and a lamb, and cutting them in pieces with his own hands, boiled them both together in a brazen cauldron, covered over with a lid which was also of brass. Such then was the answer returned to Croesus from Delphi. What the answer was which the Lydians who went to the shrine of Amphiarans and performed the customary rites obtained of the oracle there, I have it not in my power to mention, for there is no record of it. All that is known is that Croesus believed himself to have found there also an oracle which spoke the truth. After this Croesus, having resolved to propitiate the Delphic god with a magnificent sacrifice, offered up three thousand of every kind of sacrificial beast, and besides made a huge pile, and placed upon it couches coated with silver and with gold, and golden goblets, and robes and vests of purple; all which he burnt in the hope of thereby making himself more secure of the favour of the god. Further he issued his orders to all the people of the land to offer a sacrifice according to their means.

When the sacrifice was ended, the king melted down a vast quantity of gold, and ran it into ingots, making them six palms long, three palms broad, and one palm in thickness. The number of ingots was a hundred and seventeen, four being of refined gold, in weight two talents and a half; the others of pale gold, and in weight two talents. He also caused a statue of a lion to be made in refined gold, the weight of which was ten talents. At the time when the temple of Delphi was burnt to the ground, this lion fell from the ingots on which it was placed; it now stands in the Corinthian treasury, and weighs only six talents and a half, having lost three talents and a half by the fire. On the completion of these works Croesus sent them away to Delphi, and with them two bowls of an enormous size, one of gold, the other of silver, which used to stand, the latter upon the right, the former upon the left, as one entered the temple.

They too were moved at the time of the fire; and now the golden one is in the Clazomenian treasury, and weighs eight talents and forty-two minae; the silver one stands in the corner of the ante-chapel, and holds six hundred amphorae. This is known because the Delphians fill it at the time of the Theophania. It is said by the Delphians to be a work of Theodore the Samian, and I think that they say true, for assuredly it is the work of no common artist. Croesus sent also four silver casks, which are in the Corinthian treasury, and two lustral vases, a golden and a silver one. On the former is inscribed the name of the Lacedaemonians, and they claim it as a gift of theirs, but wrongly, since it was really given by Croesus. The inscription upon it was cut by a Delphian, who wished to pleasure the Lacedaemonians. His name is known to me, but I forbear to mention it. The boy, through whose hand the water runs, is (I confess) a Lacedaemonian gift, but they did not give either of the lustral vases.

Besides these various offerings, Croesus sent to Delphi many others of less account, among the rest a number of round silver basins. Also he dedicated a female figure in gold, three cubits high, which is said by the Delphians to be the statue of his baking-woman; and further, he presented the necklace and the girdles of his wife. These were the offerings sent by Croesus to Delphi. To the shrine of Amphiaraus, with whose valour and misfortune he was acquainted, he sent a shield entirely of gold, and a spear, also of solid gold, both head and shaft. They were still existing in my day at Thebes, laid up in the temple of Ismenian Apollo. The messengers who had the charge of conveying these treasures to the shrines, received instructions to ask the oracles whether Croesus should go to war with the Persians and if so, whether he should strengthen himself by the forces of an ally.

Accordingly, when they had reached their destinations and presented the gifts, they proceeded to consult the oracles in the following terms:- "Croesus, of Lydia and other countries, believing that these are the only real oracles in all the world, has sent you such presents as your discoveries deserved, and now inquires of you whether he shall go to war with the Persians, and if so, whether he shall strengthen himself by the forces of a confederate." Both the oracles agreed in the tenor of their reply, which was in each case a prophecy that if Croesus attacked the Persians, he would destroy a mighty empire, and a recommendation to him to look and see who were the most powerful of the Greeks, and to make alliance with them. At the receipt of these oracular replies Croesus was overjoyed, and feeling sure now that he would destroy the empire of the Persians, he sent once more to Pytho, and presented to the Delphians, the number of whom he had ascertained, two gold staters apiece.

In return for this the Delphians granted to Croesus and the Lydians the privilege of precedency in consulting the oracle, exemption from all charges, the most honourable seat at the festivals, and the perpetual right of becoming at pleasure citizens of their town. After sending these presents to the Delphians, Croesus a third time consulted the oracle, for having once proved its truthfulness, he wished to make constant use of it. The question whereto he now desired an answer was- "Whether his kingdom would be of long duration?" The following was the reply of the Pythoness:-- Wait till the time shall come when a mule is monarch of Media; Then, thou delicate Lydian, away to the pebbles of Hermus; Haste, oh! haste thee away, nor blush to behave like a coward. Of all the answers that had reached him, this pleased him far the best, for it seemed incredible that a mule should ever come to be king of the Medes, and so he concluded that the sovereignty would never depart from himself or his seed after him.

Afterwards he turned his thoughts to the alliance which he had been recommended to contract, and sought to ascertain by inquiry which was the most powerful of the Grecian states. Source: Scanned by: J. S. Arkenberg, Dept. of History, Cal. State Fullerton. Prof. Arkenberg may have modernized the text. This text is part of the Internet Ancient History Sourcebook . The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts related to medieval and Byzantine history. Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use. No representation is made about texts which are linked off-site, although in most cases these are also public domain. If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is granted for commercial use.

Question: In Greek mythology, Croesus was known for what?
Answer: Wealth