Croesus

Croesus (cree-sus; Greek: Κροῖσος ; 595 BC – about 547? BC) was the king of Lydia from 560 BC until his defeat by the Persians. 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.

Croesus
Depiction of Croesus, c. 500–490 BC
King of Lydia
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 Receiving Tribute from a Lydian Peasant, (1629) by Claude Vignon

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.

“	By the fifth century at least, Croesus had become a figure of myth, who stood outside the conventional restraints of chronology.	”
—J. A. S. Evans

See more

• Herodotus
• Xenophon

Croesus Media

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  Lydia's borders under King Croesus

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  Gold coin of Croesus, Lydian, around 550 BC, found in what is now modern Turkey

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  Croesus showing his treasures to Solon. Frans Francken the Younger, 17th century

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  Silver croeseid issued by King Croesus of Lydia (561–545 BC), obverse: lion and bull protomes

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  Defeat of Croesus at the Battle of Thymbra, 546 BC.

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  Croesus on the pyre, Attic red-figure amphora, Louvre (G 197)

Other websites

• Herodotus' account of Croesus (from the Perseus Project) : see 1.6-94; contains links Croesus was the son of Alyattes II and continued the conquest of Ionian cities of Asia Minor that his father had begun to both English and Greek versions
• An in-depth account of Croesus' life, by Carlos Parada
• Livius, Croesus Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine by Jona Lendering
• Croesus on Ancient History Encyclopedia

<span title=" transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Krowisas Mermnad dynasty Died: 625 BC
Regnal titles
Preceded by Alyattes	King of Lydia c. 585–c. 547 BC	Succeeded by Position abolished (Persian conquest of Lydia)