Croesus

Croesus

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.

See Also: Solon and Croesus, Cleobis, Biton, Adrastus

Croesus Q&A

Who was Croesus?

Croesus was a king of Lydia, whose reign lasted for fourteen years. He was well known for the wealth he had amassed.

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