Delphi with these presents, but
sent them by the hands of trusty messengers, who were instructed to
perform the ceremonies required, to offer the gifts, and then to make
inquiries of the oracle in the following terms.

"Croesus the sovereign of Lydia and of various other kingdoms, in
return for the wisdom which has marked your former declarations, has
sent you these gifts. He now furthermore desires to know whether it is
safe for him to proceed against the Persians, and if so, whether it is
best for him to seek the assistance of any allies."

The answer was as follows:

"If Croesus crosses the Halys, and prosecutes a war with Persia, a
mighty empire will be overthrown. It will be best for him to form an
alliance with the most powerful states of Greece."

Croesus was extremely pleased with this response. He immediately
resolved on undertaking the expedition against Cyrus; and to express
his gratitude for so favorable an answer to his questions, he sent
to Delphi to inquire what was the number of inhabitants in the city,
and, when the answer was reported to him, he sent a present of a
sum of money to every one. The Delphians, in their turn, conferred
special privileges and honors upon the Lydians and upon Croesus in
respect to their oracle, giving them the precedence in all future
consultations, and conferring upon them other marks of distinction
and honor.

At the time when Croesus sent his present to the inhabitants of
Delphi, he took the opportunity to address another inquiry to the
oracle, which was, whether his power would ever decline. The oracle
replied in a couplet of Greek verse, similar in its style to the one
recorded on the previous occasion.

It was as follows:

"Whene'er a mule shall mount upon the Median throne,
Then, and not till then, shall great Croesus fear to lose his own."

This answer pleased the king quite as much as the former one had done.
The allusion to the contingency of a mule's reigning in Media he
very naturally regarded as only a rhetorical and mystical mode of
expressing an utter impossibility. Croesus considered himself and
the continuance of his power as perfectly secure. He was fully
confirmed in his determination to organize his expedition without any
delay, and to proceed immediately to the proper measures for obtaining
the Grecian alliance and aid which the oracle had recommended. The
plans which he formed, and the events which resulted, will be
described in sub