rn side of Tmolus; it was well
fortified everywhere except toward the mountain; and on that side the
rock was so precipitous and inaccessible, that fortifications were
thought unnecessary, nor did the inhabitants believe assault to be
possible in that quarter. But Hyroeades, a Persian soldier, having
accidentally seen one of the garrison descending this precipi tous rock
to pick up his helmet which had rolled down, watched his opportunity,
tried to climb up, and found it not impracticable; others followed his
example, the stronghold was thus seized first, and the whole city
speedily taken by storm.

Cyrus had given especial orders to spare the life of Croesus, who was
accordingly made prisoner. But preparations were made for a solemn and
terrible spectacle; the captive king was destined to be burned in
chains, together with fourteen Lydian youths, on a vast pile of wood. We
are even told that the pile was already kindled and the victim beyond
the reach of human aid, when Apollo sent a miraculous rain to preserve
him. As to the general fact of supernatural interposition, in one way or
another, Herodotus and Ctesias both agree, though they described
differently the particular miracles wrought. It is certain that Croesus,
after some time, was released and well treated by his conqueror, and
lived to become the confidential adviser of the latter as well as of his
son Cambyses: Ctesias also acquaints us that a considerable town and
territory near Ekbatana, called Barene, was assigned to him, according
to a practice which we shall find not infrequent with the Persian kings.

The prudent counsel and remarks as to the relations between Persians and
Lydians, whereby Croesus is said by Herodotus to have first earned this
favorable treatment, are hardly worth repeating; but the indignant
remonstrance sent by Croesus to the Delphian god is too characteristic
to be passed over. He obtained permission from Cyrus to lay upon the
holy pavement of the Delphian temple the chains with which he had at
first been bound. The Lydian envoys were instructed, after exhibiting to
the god these humiliating memorials, to ask whether it was his custom to
deceive his benefactors, and whether he was not ashamed to have
encouraged the king of Lydia in an enterprise so disastrous? The god,
condescending to justify himself by the lips of the priestess, replied:
"Not even a god can escape his destiny. Croesus has suffered for the sin
of his fifth ancestor