(1) And after having their dinner and posting their guards, as was necessary, Cyrus and his cohorts went to bed. Croesus, however, immediately fled with his army toward Sardis, and the other tribes withdrew as far as they were able during the night, each on the road toward its home. (2) When it was day, Cyrus led directly toward Sardis. When he was at the wall around Sardis, he raised up the siege engines as if he intended to attack the wall, and he prepared his ladders. (3) Although he did this, during the coming night he had Chaldaeans and Persians go up what was thought to be the most precipitous part of the fortifications of Sardis. A Persian man directed them, one who had been a slave of one of the guards on the acropolis and had learned a descent to the river and an ascent back by the same way. (4) When it became clear that the heights had been taken, all the Lydians fled from the walls, each to whatever part of the city he could. Cyrus entered the city with the coming of daylight, and he commanded that no one stir from his post. (5) Having locked himself in the king’s quarters, Croesus called out for Cyrus. Cyrus left guards around Croesus, but he himself led off to the occupied heights. When he saw that the Persians were guarding the heights as was necessary but that the arms of the Chaldaeans had been abandoned (for they had run off to sack the possessions of the houses), he immediately called the Chaldaean rulers together and told them to leave his army as soon as possible. (6) “I could not endure,” he said, “to see troops in disorder getting the advantage. You know well that I was prepared to make you who were campaigning with me blessedly happy in the eyes of all Chaldaeans. But now do not be amazed if someone stronger happens upon you as you are going away.”
(7) When they heard this, the Chaldaeans became afraid and begged him to cease from his anger and said that they would give back all valuables. But he said that he had no need of them. “But if you wish me to stop being annoyed,” he said, “give all you took to those who guarded the heights. For if the other soldiers perceive that those who are in good order get the advantage, all will be fine by me.”
(8) So the Chaldaeans did as Cyrus bade them, and the obedient received many and varied valuables. Encamping his own troops in what seemed the most suitable part of the city, Cyrus directed them to remain by their arms and have their lunch.
(9) Having accomplished these things, he bade that Croesus be brought to him. When Croesus saw Cyrus, he said, “Greetings, master, for fortune grants that henceforth you should have this title and I should address you with it.”
(10) “And [greetings to] you too, Croesus,” he said, “since we are both human beings, at least. But Croesus, would you be willing to give me some advice?”
“Yes, Cyrus,” he said, “and I would wish that I might find something good for you, for I think this would be good for me too.”
(11) “Then listen, Croesus,” he said. “For since I see that the soldiers have performed many labors, run many risks, and now believe that they possess the wealthiest city in Asia after Babylon, I think the soldiers ought to enjoy some benefit. I know that unless they receive some fruit from their labors, I will not be able to keep them obedient for long. Yet I certainly do not want to permit them to plunder the city. I believe that the city would be destroyed, and I know very well that the most worthless troops would get the advantage in the looting.”
(12) When he heard this Croesus said, “But allow me to go to some of the Lydians and say that I have obtained from you the policy that looting will not be permitted and that children and wives will not be carried off. Let me say that in return for this I promised you would obtain everything beautiful and good that there is in Sardis and do so from Lydians who are quite willing to give it. (13) If they hear this, I know that every beautiful possession here, whether a man’s or a woman’s, will be brought to you. Further, in the same way next year, the city will again be full of many beautiful things for you. Yet if you loot it, even the arts will be destroyed, and they say these are fountains of the beautiful things. (14) It will still be possible for you, even after you have seen what is brought in, to deliberate about looting [the city]. First send to my treasuries, and let your guards take them over from my guards.” So Cyrus consented to do everything as Croesus had said.
(15) “But by all means, Croesus, tell me how the responses of the Delphic oracle turned out for you,” he said, “for it is said that you served Apollo very much and that you obeyed him in everything you did.”
(16) “I would wish, Cyrus, that this were so,” he said. “As it is, I have approached Apollo with just the opposite behavior, right from the beginning.”
“How?” asked Cyrus. “Teach me, for what you say is quite contrary to what one would expect.”
(17) “Because, in the first place,” he said, “neglecting to ask the god if I needed something, I instead tested whether he was able to tell the truth. Even when noble and good human beings, not to mention gods, realize that they are distrusted, they are not friendly toward those who distrust them. (18) When, however, he realized what I was doing, even though it was very odd and even though I was far from Delphi, of course I sent and inquired about children.16 (19) At first he did not even answer me. But when, as I thought, I propitiated him by sending many offerings of gold and many of silver, and by sacrificing many victims, then when I asked what I could do to have children, he answered me. He said that there would be children. (20) And born they were, for not even in this did he lie. Yet though they were born, they brought no benefit, for one passes his life a mute, and the best one perished in the prime of his life. Being weighed down by the misfortunes concerning my children, I sent again, and I asked the god what I could do to live out the rest of my life in the happiest way. And he answered me, ‘Knowing yourself, Croesus, you will pass through it happily.’ (21) I was pleased on hearing the oracle, for I believed that he was granting me happiness, having assigned me the easiest thing. Regarding other people, I believed it was possible to know some but not others, but I believed that every human being knows himself, who he is. (22) And in the period after this, while I kept at peace, I had no complaints about my fortunes after the death of my son. But when I was persuaded by the Assyrian king to campaign against you, I entered upon every risk. I got off safely, however, and sustained nothing evil, nor do I blame the god in this regard, for when I came to know myself not to be competent to do battle with you, I went away safely with the god’s [help], both I myself and those with me. (23) Then again recently, having been softened up by my present wealth and by those who asked me to become their leader, and by the gifts that they gave me and by the human beings who flattered me (for they said that if I were willing to rule, all would obey me and I would be the greatest of human beings)—being puffed up by such words, when all the kings around chose me to be their leader in the war, I undertook the generalship as if I were competent to become greatest, (24) not knowing myself, as we now see, because I thought I was competent to make war against you—you who in the first place have sprung from gods have in the second place descended through a line of kings, and thirdly have been practicing virtue since your childhood.17 But of my ancestors I hear that the first to rule as a king became both king and freeman at the same time.18 So not having known these things,” he said, “I am justly punished. (25) But now, Cyrus,” he said, “I know myself. But does it seem to you that Apollo’s word will still be true, that knowing myself I will be happy? I ask you because it seems to me that at the present you could best surmise it, for you would even be able to fulfill it.”
(26) And Cyrus said, “Allow me to deliberate about this, Croesus. When I consider your previous happiness, I pity you and I grant already thatyou may have again the wife you had, as well as the daughters (for I hear you have some), the friends, the servants, and meals with which you used to live. But battles and wars I forbid you.”
(27) “By Zeus,” said Croesus, “then deliberate no longer to answer about my happiness. I will tell you now that if you do for me what you say, I now have and shall lead the very life that others have believed to be mostblessedly happy, and on which I agreed with them.”
(28) And Cyrus said, “Who is it that has this blessedly happy life?”
“My wife, Cyrus,” he said. “She shared equally in all of my good, refined, and delightful things, but of my cares about how to secure these things, and of war and battle, she did not partake. You seem to be putting me in just the same condition in which I put her whom I loved more than any other human being.19 Consequently, I think I shall owe other tokens of gratitude to Apollo.”
(29) On hearing his arguments, Cyrus was amazed at his good spirits, and in the future he took Croesus wherever he himself went, either because he believed that he was somehow useful or because he held it to be safer in this way.