The best historical parables. A trail of fiery life Who is Croesus and what did he do
The wealth of Croesus has become proverbial, many legends have developed about him. According to one of them, Croesus asked the Greek sage Solon, when he once visited the capital of Lydia - Sardis: can the owner of such great wealth be considered truly the happiest of mortals? To which Solon replied: "No one can be called happy before his death."
Croesus was an Hellenophile; sent generous gifts to Greek temples (Delphi, Ephesus) and sought to introduce Lydia to Greek culture.
Croesus fought with the Persian king Cyrus II, who, having conquered Media, decided to conquer the countries lying to the west of it. The first battle between Persians and Lydians took place under the walls of Pteria, a city in Cappadocia. It went on for a whole day and ended in vain. But since the Lydian army was numerically inferior to the army of Cyrus, Croesus decided to retreat to his capital - the city of Sardis. However, Cyrus vigorously pursued him and unexpectedly appeared with his entire army under the walls of the Lydian capital. A second decisive battle took place on a large plain in front of the city. After this battle, the Lydians were again defeated, and the remnants of their detachments locked themselves in Sardis. The city was heavily fortified, but the Persians managed to find a secret path that led to the Acropolis, and capture the fortress with a sudden blow.
Thus, the capital of Lydia was captured, and Croesus himself was taken prisoner (546 BC). According to one version (Herodotus and most ancient Greek historians), Croesus was sentenced to be burned, but pardoned by Cyrus; according to another (ancient Eastern cuneiform sources) - he was executed.
According to one of the legends, the captive Croesus, before being executed at the stake, appealed to Solon, remembering his words. Cyrus, demanding to explain what this means, and having heard the story of Croesus about the conversation with the sage, was so amazed that he gave the order to put out the fire. But the flames flared up so much that the order of Cyrus could no longer be carried out. At this moment, the god Apollo, to whom Croesus addressed, brought down a downpour on the ground, which extinguished the flame.
According to another legend, the captive Croesus said to Cyrus after the capture of Sardis the following words: "If you won, and your soldiers rob Sardis, then they rob your property." With this, Croesus stopped the sacking of his former capital.
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This page lists the kings who ruled the kingdom of Lydia (modern Anatolia), from the 8th century BC to the 8th century BC. e. to 546 BC e. For mythical kings, see Asia Minor in Greek mythology#Lydia. The Heraclid Dynasty Herodotus tells ... ... Wikipedia
Croesus other Greek. Κροίσος ... Wikipedia
- (Croesus, Κροι̃σος). King of Lydia, known for his untold wealth. He was the son of Aliattes and reigned in 560 546. BC Solon also visited his court in Sardis, among other Greek sages. When Croesus asked him who he thought... ... Encyclopedia of mythology
- (595 546 BC) the last king of Lydia (a kingdom in Asia Minor), who, according to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus ("History"), possessed untold wealth. A common noun for a very rich person. The birth is associated with the name of Croesus ... ... Dictionary of winged words and expressions
- (595 546 BC) the last king of Lydia from 560, significantly expanded the territory of his kingdom. Defeated and captured by Cyrus II, and the kingdom annexed to Persia (546). Croesus' wealth is proverbial... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (c. 595 546 BC), king of Lydia (ruled c. 560 546 BC), famous for his wealth. He inherited the throne of his father Aliatt, defeating his half-brother in the struggle. By Greek standards, Croesus was considered a fabulously wealthy man, although his ... ... Collier Encyclopedia Dictionary of antiquity
CROESUS(Kroisos) (c. 595 - after 529 BC), the last ruler of the ancient Lydian kingdom. Son of King Lydia Alyatta (c. 610–560 BC) of the Mermnad dynasty; mother is from Kariya. In the 560s. BC. was a Lydian governor in Mysia (a region in the northwest of Asia Minor). Shortly before his death, his father appointed him as his heir. Took the throne ca. 560 BC at the age of thirty-five. Having come to power, he ordered to kill another contender for the crown - his half-brother Pantaleon.
In the early 550s BC. went on a campaign to the Greek policies (city-states) on the western coast of Asia Minor and forced them to pay tribute to him. He also planned to subdue the islands inhabited by the Greeks in the eastern part of the Aegean Sea (Samos, Chios, Lesbos) and started building a fleet, but then abandoned his plans; according to ancient tradition, he made this decision under the influence of the Greek sage Biant of Priene. He conquered all of Asia Minor up to the river. Galis (modern Kyzyl-Irmak), except for Lycia and Cilicia. He created a vast power, which, in addition to Lydia proper, included Ionia, Aeolis, Doris of Asia Minor, Phrygia, Mysia, Bithynia, Paphlagonia, Caria and Pamphylia; these areas appear to have retained considerable internal autonomy.
He was famous for his exorbitant wealth; hence the saying "rich as Croesus" came from. Considered himself the happiest person on earth; the legend tells of a visit to him by the Athenian sage and politician Solon, who refused to call the king happy, because a person’s happiness can only be judged after his death (this legend is hardly based on real facts).
He maintained friendly relations with the Median kingdom, which was ruled by his brother-in-law Astyages, and the states of Balkan Greece ( cm. ANCIENT GREECE). Patronized the Delphic oracle of the god Apollo ( cm. DELPHI) and the Theban oracle of the hero Amphiaraus; sent them rich gifts.
After the absorption of Media by the Persians c. 550 BC organized a coalition with Sparta, Babylon and Egypt against the Persian king Cyrus II ( cm. KIR the Great). Having received, as Herodotus reports ( cm. HERODOTUS), an auspicious prediction from the Delphic oracle (“Galis crossing the river, Croesus will destroy the vast kingdom”), invaded in the autumn of 546 BC. into Cappadocia, dependent on the Persians, devastated it and captured the Cappadocian cities. He gave Cyrus II a battle at Pteria, which did not bring victory to either side, after which he returned to Lydia and disbanded the mercenary army for the winter. However, unexpectedly for him, Cyrus II moved deep into the Lydian state and approached its capital - Sardam. Croesus managed to gather only a small cavalry army, which was defeated by the Persians in the battle of Sardis. After a 14-day siege, the Lydian capital was taken, Croesus was captured and sentenced to be burned. According to legend, at the stake, he uttered the name of Solon three times; upon hearing this, Cyrus II demanded an explanation and, having learned from the convict about his meeting with the Athenian sage, pardoned him and even made him his closest adviser.
In 545 BC, after the uprising of Paktia in Lydia, he dissuaded Cyrus II from the intention to destroy Sardis and sell all the Lydians into slavery. In 529 BC during the campaign of Cyrus II against the Massagets, he convinced the Persian king to fight on the land of the nomads, and not on his own territory. After the death of Cyrus II, he retained a high position at the court of his son and heir Cambyses (529-522 BC). The further fate of Croesus is unknown.
Ivan Krivushin
In the ancient world there was no person richer than Croesus, king of Lydia.
The life of Croesus was furnished with such luxury that a mere mortal cannot even dream of. His capital - Sardis was decorated with palaces and temples, and their domes towered like mountain peaks. Thousands of servants and bodyguards fulfilled his desires; warriors guarded storerooms with treasures; countless halls of his palaces were filled with jewels, all sorts of things, amazing fabrics and ornaments, and incense from ointments, with which the servants anointed the body of the king, lifted him to the very pinnacle of bliss.
Croesus boasted of his wealth. He arranged ceremonial receptions with unprecedented pomp, and in the eyes of the guests he saw with gloating pleasure how they envy him. He liked to repeat: "There is no person happier than me."
Croesus heard that there are Greek sages who despise wealth. "Yes, are they happy ?! - he exclaimed. - They go and have nothing to wear!" And he sent servants to Greece to the famous Solon.
Solon responded to the request of Croesus and arrived in Sardis. He thought that he, as an Athenian legislator, was invited on an important matter.
Solon was brought into the king's palace. He went through one room after another. Each was filled with importantly pacing courtiers, and he was ready to take each one for Croesus. But the servants led him further and further, more and more doors opened, and behind each he saw more and more splendor. Finally, he was led into a room that looked more like the abode of the gods, in the center of which, like on Olympus, there was something colorful, magnificent and clumsy.
It was King Croesus. Croesus sat on the throne; he was dressed in an astonishing outfit of colorful robes, feathers, sparkling emeralds and gold.
Solon came up and greeted the king. Croesus ran his hand over his attire and asked: "Guest from Athens, have you seen anything more beautiful?"
Solon, dressed in a simple tunic, replied: "I saw roosters and peacocks: their decoration is given to them by nature and is a thousand times more beautiful."
Croesus broke into a smile. He ordered the servants to lead Solon and show him the royal chambers, baths, gardens, open all the treasuries.
When Solon examined everything and was again brought to Croesus, Croesus said: “Truly, I have collected all the riches of the earth, all its treasures. And now I invite you to the dinner table to taste all kinds of delicacies and dishes. mine will not be wasted until the end of my days."
At the table, Solon ate only bread, olives and drank water. "I'm more used to simple food," he explained. Croesus looked at Solon with pity. After dinner, Croesus said: "Solon, I have heard a lot about your wisdom. You have seen many countries. I want to ask you: have you met a person happier than me?"
“This is my fellow citizen Tell,” answered Solon. “Tell forgave the poor for their debts. He strove for justice, did not change his valor for a bag of money, did not indulge in laziness, he was the first to go to fight for the freedom of Athens and died with glory.”
Solon seemed to Croesus an eccentric. But he still asked: "Who is the happiest after this Tell?"
"Cleobis and Beaton," said Solon. Croesus looked at Solon with narrowed eyes and waited for him to finish speaking. "Cleobis and Biton, Solon said, are two brothers. They loved their mother. Their father died in the battle for Salanin, their mother raised them alone with great hardships. Once, when the oxen did not come from the pasture for a long time, the brothers harnessed themselves to the wagon and ran mother was taken to the temple of Hera. She was a priestess, and it was no longer possible to delay. All the citizens greeted her on the way, called her happy; and she rejoiced. And the brothers sacrificed to the gods, drank water, but the next day they did not get up, they were found dead They gained fame and saw death without pain and sorrow.
“You praise the dead. But me,” Croesus exclaimed with anger, “you don’t put me at all among the happy people ?!”
Solon did not want to irritate the king anymore and said: “The King of Lydia! God gave us the Hellenes the ability to observe the measure in everything. Due to the sense of proportion, the mind is also characteristic of us, timid, apparently common people, and not royal, brilliant. Such a mind sees that there are always vicissitudes of fate in life. Therefore, he does not allow us to be proud of the happiness of a given moment until the time has come when it can change. Happiness is fraught with misfortune. Whoever God sends prosperity for the rest of his life can be considered happy. And to call a person happy when he is still exposed to danger - it's like declaring the winner of an athlete who has not finished the competition.
After these words, Croesus rose from the throne and ordered Solon to be escorted to the ship and taken to his homeland.
The riches of Croesus haunted many. The Persian king Cyrus went to war with him. In a fierce battle, Croesus was defeated, his capital was destroyed, treasures were captured, he himself was captured, and he faced a terrible execution - burning at the stake.
A fire was prepared. All the Persians, and King Cyrus himself in golden armor came to this spectacle. They led Croesus to the fire and tied his hands to a stake. And then Croesus, as long as he had enough voice, shouted three times: "O Solon!" Cyrus was surprised and sent to ask: "Who is this - Solon - a god or a man, and why does he cry out to him?"
And Croesus said: “When I was at the peak of power and glory, I invited Solon, the Hellenic sage, to my place. I told him: “There is no person happier than me. I have no shortage of anything, and my wealth will not be wasted until the end of my days. " So Solon foresaw what happened to me now. He said: "Life is changeable and full of surprises. One cannot boast of happiness at the beginning of it without foreseeing its end. Oh, Solon, how right you were!"
This answer was passed on to Kira. Cyrus was amazed and thought: "Here, I am rich, like Croesus. I am happy and lucky. And what does fate have in store for me in return?"
Cyrus ordered to keep Croesus alive. He gave him freedom and a decent existence. Cyrus himself did not come to his senses for long. He again began conquest campaigns and died in battle. And the unfortunate Croesus even outlived his happy conqueror.
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Croesus (595-546 BC) ruled 560-546. Don. e.
In Lydia, the most ancient country of Asia Minor, for many centuries there was a real tribal system. In its capital, Sardis, a king ruled, to whom large landowners, his relatives, were subordinate. The last king of Lydia was Croesus, famous for his wealth. The thirst to get richer forced Croesus to conquer more and more nearby lands. Under him, Lydia became one of the most powerful and prosperous countries of the Ancient World. But the excessive desire for wealth led Croesus and his country to complete collapse.
It all started with gold mining. There was so much of this noble metal in the lands of Lydia that it seemed that it would never end. Croesus decorated his palace with gold, then began to mint a gold coin with his profile. He was one of the first kings of the ancient world who could afford such a luxury. These coins were very expensive and were not widely used. The merchants hid them. Travelers and merchants who visited Sardis never ceased to be amazed at the beauty of the city. And Croesus, pleased with the impression he had made, boasted that he was not only the richest man in the world, but also the happiest.
One day, the famous Athenian ruler, the sage Solon, who is also a poet and orator, came to visit him. Croesus warmly received the sage, showed him his palace, fed him a sumptuous dinner and invited him to the treasury. He showed the famous guest his chests full of gold and jewels. And he could not resist, he asked if Solon knew a person richer and happier than he, Croesus.
To his surprise, Solon replied that he knew such people in Greece. They helped their people to defend freedom and independence, their names are known to everyone, they are respected and honored. They are the happiest people in Greece. Croesus was outraged. How can ordinary citizens be compared to a king who has so much wealth? Solon replied that it is not wealth alone that measures a person's happiness. Much more important is what he did for people. “When you end your life safely and people say that you were the happiest of mortals, then it was so.”
Croesus was dissatisfied with this answer, he did not believe the sage and continued to live as before: he fought with small nations, increased the reserves of the noble metal. One day, rumors reached him that the warlike Cyrus had become the king of Persia, who had captured Media, a close ally of Lydia. Croesus had to go to war against Cyrus, since Croesus' sister was married to the king of Media.
Worried, Croesus, having collected gold, went to Delphi to ask the oracle what he should do. The Delphic oracle answered: if he starts a war, he will crush the richest state. Croesus realized that he would crush the richest state of Persia, and started a war.
Alas, the fighting did not bring him good luck. The camels of the Persians began to bite the horses of the Lydians, and they turned back, crushing their own infantry. The Persians completely defeated the army of Croesus, and then besieged and stormed his capital, seized the king himself and brought him to Cyrus.
Cyrus ordered the king of Lydia to be burned, as he was the first to start hostilities. According to legend, Croesus at the stake shouted: “Oh Solon! O Solon! Cyrus became interested in what he was shouting, and he ordered the execution to be stopped.
Through translators, Croesus told about Solon and his sayings. Cyrus liked the words of the Greek sage. He also asked Croesus why he started the war. He replied that the Delphic oracle predicted to him that if he starts a war, he will crush the richest state. He thought it was Persia.
Cyrus became interested in this prediction and suggested Croesus once again send ambassadors to Delphi and shame the Pythia with her prediction. But the Delphic Pythia replied that everything was correct. Croesus started a war against the Persians and crushed the great kingdom ... his own - Lydia.
Nothing is known about the further fate of Croesus. There are different legends. According to one,
Cyrus kept him as an adviser. According to others, he ordered the execution to be completed. In any case, a trace remained from Croesus in history - the history of his untold wealth. Thus was born the boastful saying: "Rich as Croesus."
CROESUS(Kroisos) (c. 595 - after 529 BC), the last ruler of the ancient Lydian kingdom. Son of King Lydia Alyatta (c. 610–560 BC) of the Mermnad dynasty; mother is from Kariya. In the 560s. BC. was a Lydian governor in Mysia (a region in the northwest of Asia Minor). Shortly before his death, his father appointed him as his heir. Took the throne ca. 560 BC at the age of thirty-five. Having come to power, he ordered to kill another contender for the crown - his half-brother Pantaleon.
In the early 550s BC. went on a campaign to the Greek policies (city-states) on the western coast of Asia Minor and forced them to pay tribute to him. He also planned to subdue the islands inhabited by the Greeks in the eastern part of the Aegean Sea (Samos, Chios, Lesbos) and started building a fleet, but then abandoned his plans; according to ancient tradition, he made this decision under the influence of the Greek sage Biant of Priene. He conquered all of Asia Minor up to the river. Galis (modern Kyzyl-Irmak), except for Lycia and Cilicia. He created a vast power, which, in addition to Lydia proper, included Ionia, Aeolis, Doris of Asia Minor, Phrygia, Mysia, Bithynia, Paphlagonia, Caria and Pamphylia; these areas appear to have retained considerable internal autonomy.
He was famous for his exorbitant wealth; hence the saying "rich as Croesus" came from. Considered himself the happiest person on earth; the legend tells of a visit to him by the Athenian sage and politician Solon, who refused to call the king happy, because a person’s happiness can only be judged after his death (this legend is hardly based on real facts).
He maintained friendly relations with the Median kingdom, which was ruled by his brother-in-law Astyages, and the states of Balkan Greece ( cm. ANCIENT GREECE). Patronized the Delphic oracle of the god Apollo ( cm. DELPHI) and the Theban oracle of the hero Amphiaraus; sent them rich gifts.
After the absorption of Media by the Persians c. 550 BC organized a coalition with Sparta, Babylon and Egypt against the Persian king Cyrus II ( cm. KIR the Great). Having received, as Herodotus reports ( cm. HERODOTUS), an auspicious prediction from the Delphic oracle (“Galis crossing the river, Croesus will destroy the vast kingdom”), invaded in the autumn of 546 BC. into Cappadocia, dependent on the Persians, devastated it and captured the Cappadocian cities. He gave Cyrus II a battle at Pteria, which did not bring victory to either side, after which he returned to Lydia and disbanded the mercenary army for the winter. However, unexpectedly for him, Cyrus II moved deep into the Lydian state and approached its capital - Sardam. Croesus managed to gather only a small cavalry army, which was defeated by the Persians in the battle of Sardis. After a 14-day siege, the Lydian capital was taken, Croesus was captured and sentenced to be burned. According to legend, at the stake, he uttered the name of Solon three times; upon hearing this, Cyrus II demanded an explanation and, having learned from the convict about his meeting with the Athenian sage, pardoned him and even made him his closest adviser.
In 545 BC, after the uprising of Paktia in Lydia, he dissuaded Cyrus II from the intention to destroy Sardis and sell all the Lydians into slavery. In 529 BC during the campaign of Cyrus II against the Massagets, he convinced the Persian king to fight on the land of the nomads, and not on his own territory. After the death of Cyrus II, he retained a high position at the court of his son and heir Cambyses (529-522 BC). The further fate of Croesus is unknown.
Ivan Krivushin