Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 January 1899 — Croesus and Solon. [ARTICLE]

Croesus and Solon.

In the fullness of his glory Croesus was visited by Solon, the wise man of Greece, who was taking a long vacation after his public labors in Athens. Croesus hoped to astonish Solon by his magnificence, and to make him acknowledge that no one on earth could be happier than the mighty Lydian king. But Solon would not agree to this, and insisted that every man must wait till the end of his life, and see what fortune would finally bring him, before deciding whether he could be called happy or not. The king was greatly offended, and from that time he never spoke of the stern philosopher until his own death seemed close at hand. After his defeat and capture by Cyrus the Persian, he was condemned to be burned alive, in the presence of the conqueror. Just as the sentence was about to be executed, Croesus called out the name of Solon three times; and Cyrus, wondering what he meant, had him brought ‘forward to explain the exclamation. Croesus then described his interview with the sage, the wisdom of whose judgment was now proved by his own miserable end. Cyrus was deeply impressed by what he heard, and by the resignation of his captive. He released Croesus, and from that time protected and befriended him. The deposed sovereign of Lydia was a prominent figure at the Persian court not only as long as Cyrus lived, but during some years of the reign of Cambyses, the successor of Cyrus.