Croesus
Croesus was the fabulously wealthy king of Lydia whose encounter with the Athenian sage Solon — "count no man happy until he is dead" — became the defining parable of Greek ethical thought.
The Legend of Croesus
King of Lydia, Croesus showed the Athenian sage Solon his treasures and asked who was happiest alive, expecting his own name. Solon replied that no man should be counted happy until dead. Apollo's oracle at Delphi told Croesus that if he attacked Persia, a great empire would fall — it was his own. Defeated by Cyrus, he was placed on a funeral pyre and cried out to Solon. Zeus sent rain (or Apollo intervened) to quench the flames. His tale warns, like those of Midas and Tantalus, against mistaking wealth for divine favour.
Parents
Alyattes
Children
Atys
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Fun Fact
"Rich as Croesus" remains a common English expression — over 2,500 years after the king lost everything.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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🗡 herofate
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🗡 heroNone recorded
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