Persia bursts into history
Out of the East came the Persian hordes, dispensing
mercy or murder as suited them best. Great Babylon, Egypt, Greece herself paid
forced tribute to the high kings in Persepoils.
TO
THE ORACLE at Delphi came messengers bearing gifts of gold from Croesus, King
of Lydia, said to be the wealthiest man in the world. ‘Should Croesus make war
on the Persians?’ they asked. The oracle replied: ‘If Croesus should make war
on the Persians, he would destroy a mighty empire.’ Delighted with the reply,
and failing to perceive the ambiguity in it, Croesus in the spring of 547 BC
sent his armies to attack Persia. By this move he doomed his own kingdom to
defeat and extinction.
Later
in the same year the Persian armies swept into Sardis, capital of Lydia, and it
is at this stage that Herodotus, the lively Greek chronicler, introduces to
history the character of Cyrus, founder of the Persian empire. According to his
account, Persian soldiers captured Croesus and brought him for judgement to
Cyrus the Great, first king of Persia. Cyrus condemned him to be burnt alive.
As the flames crackled at the base of the high piled faggots, Cyrus watched the
unhappy face of his fallen enemy. Suddenly Croesus groaned, and cried: ‘Solon!
Solon! Solon!’ Cyrus commanded his interpreters to ask Croesus whom he called
upon. ‘I name aman,’ said Croesus, ‘whose counsel I wish that all tyrants
should hear.’ Pressed to explain, Croesus went on to say that Solon, the great
lawgiver of Athens, had once visited him and, having inspected the king’s
treasures, commented that wealth was of little account because no living man
could be justly called happy.
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