82 HISTORICAL TALES.

The news of this misfortune plunged Creesus into
the deepest misery of grief. As for Adrastus, he
begged to be sacrificed at the grave of his unfortu-
nate victim. This Crossus, despite his grief, refused,
saying,—

“Some god is the author of my misfortune, not
you. I was forewarned of it long ago.”

But Adrastus was not to be thus prevented, Deem-
ing himself the most unfortunate of men, he slew
himself on the tomb of the hapless youth. And for
two years Croesus abandoned himself to grief.

And now we must go on to tell how Croesus met
with a greater misfortune still, and brought the
Persians to the gates of Greece. Cyrus, son of
Cambyses, king of Persia, had conquered the neigh-
boring kingdom of Media, and, inspired by ambition,
had set out on a career of wide-spread conquest and
dominion. He had grown steadily more powerful,
and now threatened the great kingdom which Croesus
had gained.

The Lydian king, seeing this danger approaching,
sought advice from the oracles. But wishing first
to know which of them could best be trusted, he
sent to six of them demanding a statement of what
he was doing at a certain moment. The oracle of
Delphi alone gave a correct answer.

Thereupon Croesus offered up a vast sacrifice to
the Delphian deity. Three thousand oxen were
slain, and a great sacrificial pile was built, on which
were placed splendid robes and tunics of purple,
with couches and censers of gold and silver, all to
be committed to the flames. To Delphi he sent