Croesus

Croesus
Depiction of Croesus, c. 500–490 BC
King of Lydia
Reign	c. 585 – c. 546 BC
Predecessor	Alyattes of Lydia
Successor	Cyrus II of Persia
Born	7th/6th century BCE Lydia
Died	6th century BCE Sardis, Lydia
Issue	2, including Atys
Father	Alyattes of Lydia

Croesus (CREE-sus; Greek: Κροῖσος ; 595 BC – about 547? BC) was the king of Lydia from 560 BC until his defeat by the Persians.^[1] Through his conquest of neighboring lands, he became famous for his wealth. The historian Herodotus and the geographer Pausanias made explicit records of his offerings at Delphi temple.

When the Persian Empire grew stronger, King Croesus misunderstood the prophecy at the Delphi temple and subjectively sent troops to attack the Persian king Cyrus the Great. He was defeated and his empire was thrown. According to Herodotus, he was then pardoned and even became a close advisor to Cyrus the Great when the king led his army to fight the Massagetae. The story of the fallen king Croesus had a profound influence on the ancient Greeks, making his name indispensable in Greek history.

1. ↑ The English name Croesus comes from the Latin transliteration of the Greek Κροῖσος, in Arabic và Persian قارون, Qârun.
2. ↑ J.A.S. Evans, "What Happened to Croesus?" The Classical Journal 74.1 (October 1978:34-40) examines the legend and the date 547 BC.