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[Croesus,] king of [the] Lydians, son of Alyattes. Previously it had been his lot to rule Adramytteion and the Theban plain;[1] but after his father had campaigned against Caria he sent around messages telling his [sons] to lead the army into Sardis, and among these was Croesus, who was the oldest of his sons. But he, so they say, was not able to, due to a lack of discipline, and had somehow incurred his father's displeasure. Wanting in this matter to be free of the blame and at a loss for a source of mercenaries to hire -- for they used hired [troops] -- he went to Alyattes,[2] who was the richest merchant of the Lydians, wanting to borrow money. He commanded him first to wait in front of the doors, while he bathed; then he answered Croesus' petition as follows: Alyattes has many sons; if he had to give all of them money, it would run out; so he would not give any to Croesus on request. Being unsuccessful with this man, Croesus went to search for money in Ephesus. And then he prayed to Artemis that if he could be king he would consecrate the merchant's whole house to her. A certain friend of Croesus was Iononos,[3] the son of Theocharides, who was very well-off. This man asked his father for gold, got it, and gave it to Croesus. Later Croesus became king and gave a wagon full of gold to Iononos, and he dedicated the house of the merchant to Artemis.

*kroi=sos, *ludw=n basileu/s, ui(o\s *)alua/ttou: o(\s to\ pro/teron a)/rxein e)/laxen *)adramuttei/ou kai\ *qh/bhs pedi/ou: strateu/santos de\ tou= patro\s au)tou= e)pi\ *kari/an perih/ggeile toi=s e(autou= to\n strato\n a)/gein e)s *sa/rdeis, e)n oi(=s kai\ *kroi/sw|, o(/stis h)=n tw=n au)tou= presbu/tatos pai/dwn. o( de/, w(/s fasin, u(po\ a)kolasi/as ou)x oi(=o/s te h)=n kai/ pws diebe/blhto pro\s to\n pate/ra. boulo/menos de\ e)n tw=|de tw=| e)/rgw| a)polu/sasqai ta\s ai)ti/as kai\ a)porw=n o(po/qen misqw/saito e)pikou/rous, misqwtoi=s ga\r e)xrw=nto, h)=lqen e)pi\ *)alua/tthn to\n e)/mporon plousiw/taton *ludw=n o)/nta, danei/zesqai boulo/menos. o( de\ au)to\n prw=ton me\n a)name/nein e)ke/leuse pro\ tw=n qurw=n, a)/xri lou/shtai: meta\ de\ e)ntugxa/nonti a)pokri/netai, o(/ti polloi\ pai=des ei)=en *)alua/tth|, oi(=s pa=sin ei) deh/soi a)\n to\ a)rgu/rion dido/nai, ou)k e)carke/sei, ou)/koun dou=nai deome/nw|. *kroi=son de\ a)potuxo/nta ta)nqrw/pou e)s *)/efeson a)fike/sqai kata\ zh/thsin a)rguri/ou. kai\ to/te me\n eu)/casqai th=| *)arte/midi, ei) basileu/seie, to\n oi)=kon a(/panta kaqierw=sai tou= e)mpo/rou. h)=n de/ tis *kroi/sw| fi/los *)iwno/nos, ui(o\s *qeoxari/dou, eu)= ma/la eu)po/rou. ou(=tos e)deh/qh tou= patro\s xrusi/ou kai\ tuxw\n di/dwsi *kroi/sw|. o( de\ u(/steron basileu\s geno/menos a(/macan au)tw=| e)/dwken mesth\n xrusi/ou kai\ to\n oi)=kon tou= e)mpo/rou th=| *)arte/midi kaqie/rwse.

For Croesus see already kappa 2497, and again kappa 2499, kappa 2500. The present entry derives from Nicolaus of Damascus, FGrH 90 F65.
[1] cf. alpha 1423.
[2] So the transmitted text here, an obvious error. Nicolaus gives the name which has been displaced: Sadyattes.
[3] "An Ionian, called Pamphaes" (Nicolaus).

William Hutton (Altered wording in several places) on 13 June 2000@23:33:24.
David Whitehead (added notes, bibliography, keywords; cosmetics) on 25 May 2001@07:17:57.
David Whitehead (more keywords) on 20 November 2005@10:42:21.
David Whitehead (more keywords; tweaks and cosmetics) on 19 May 2008@10:24:20.
David Whitehead (tweaking) on 18 March 2013@08:20:57.

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