ce that there is an unseen world; that man may
have true communications with it; that a personal deity reigns, who
approves and disapproves of human conduct, and that there is a future
state of being. In this point of view, the absurd oracles of Greece,
and the universal credence which they obtained, constitute strong
evidence that there is somewhere to be found inspiration and prophecy
really divine.

CHAPTER VII.

THE CONQUEST OF LYDIA.

B.C. 546

Reasons which induced Croesus to invade Media.--The
Lacedaemonians.--Embassadors to Sparta.--Preparations of Croesus.--The
counsel of Sardaris.--The army begins to march.--Thales the
Milesian.--Mathematical skill of Thales.--His theorems.--Ingenious
plan of Thales for crossing the Halys.--Advance of Cyrus.--Preparations
for battle.--Great battle at Pteria.--Undecisive result.--Croesus
returns to Sardis.--Cyrus follows him.--Confusion and alarm at
Sardis.--The Lydian cavalry.--Nature of cavalry.--Manner of receiving
a cavalry charge.--The camels.--Cyrus opposes them to the cavalry.--The
battle fought.--Cyrus victorious.--Situation of Sardis.--Its walls.--An
ancient legend.--Cyrus besieges the city.--The reconnoissance.--The
walls scaled.--Storming of the city.--Croesus made prisoner.--The
funeral pile.--Anguish and despair of Croesus.--The saying of
Solon.--Croesus is saved.--He becomes Cyrus's friend.--Croesus
sends his fetters to the oracle at Delphi.--Explanations of the
priests.--Their adroitness and dexterity.

There were, in fact, three inducements which combined their influence
on the mind of Croesus, in leading him to cross the Halys, and
invade the dominions of the Medes and Persians: first, he was
ambitious to extend his own empire; secondly, he feared that if he did
not attack Cyrus, Cyrus would himself cross the Halys and attack him;
and, thirdly, he felt under some obligation to consider himself the
ally of Astyages, and thus bound to espouse his cause, and to aid him
in putting down, if possible, the usurpation of Cyrus, and in
recovering his throne. He felt under this obligation because Astyages
was his brother-in-law; for the latter had married, many years before,
a daughter of Alyattes, who was the father of Croesus. This, as
Croesus thought, gave him a just title to interfere between the
dethroned king and the rebel who had dethroned him. Under the
influence of all these reasons combined, and encouraged by the
responses of the oracle, he dete