made by the final and
triumphant success.

Such being the character of Xenophon's tale, or rather drama, we shall
content ourselves, after giving this specimen of it, with adding, in
some subsequent chapters, a few other scenes and incidents drawn from
his narrative. In the mean time, in relating the great leading events
of Cyrus's life, we shall take Herodotus for our guide, by following
his more sober, and, probably, more trustworthy record.

CHAPTER IV.

CROESUS.

B.C. 718-545

The wealth of Croesus.--The Mermnadae.--Origin of the Mermnadean
dynasty.--Candaules and Gyges.--Infamous proposal of
Candaules.--Remonstrance of Gyges.--Nyssia's suppressed
indignation.--She sends for Gyges.--Candaules is assassinated.--Gyges
succeeds.--The Lydian power extended.--The wars of
Alyattes.--Destruction of Minerva's temple.--Stratagem of
Thrasybulus--Success of the stratagem.--A treaty of peace
concluded.--Story of Arion and the dolphin.--The alternative.--Arion
leaps into the sea.--He is preserved by a dolphin.--Death of
Alyattes.--Succession of Croesus.--Plans of Croesus for subjugating
the islands.--The golden sands of the Pactolus.--The story of
Midas.--Wealth and renown of Croesus.--Visit of Solon.--Croesus and
Solon.--What constitutes happiness.--Cleobis and Bito.--Croesus
displeased with Solon.--Solon treated with neglect.--The two sons
of Croesus.--The king's dream.--Arrival of Adrastus.--The wild
boar.--Precautions of Croesus.--Remonstrance of Atys.--Explanation
of Croesus.--Atys joins the expedition.--He is killed by
Adrastus.--Anguish of Adrastus.--Burial of Atys.--Adrastus kills
himself.--Grief of Croesus.

The scene of our narrative must now be changed, for a time, from
Persia and Media, in the East, to Asia Minor, in the West, where the
great Croesus, originally King of Lydia, was at this time gradually
extending his empire along the shores of the AEgean Sea. The name of
Croesus is associated in the minds of men with the idea of boundless
wealth, the phrase "as rich as Croesus" having been a common proverb
in all the modern languages of Europe for many centuries. It was to
this Croesus, king of Lydia, whose story we are about to relate,
that the proverb alludes.

The country of Lydia, over which this famous sovereign originally
ruled, was in the western part of Asia Minor, bordering on the AEgean
Sea. Croesus himself belonged to a dynasty, or race of kings, called
the Mermnadae. The founder of th