Key idea: Herodotus looked for the roots of war between Greece and Persia in 499-479 B.C. He is considered the first to connect cause and effect in a historical account Herodotus traveled extensively, interviwed people, visited places, monuments, and told many great stories.
Crœsus was Lydian by race, the son of Alyattes and ruler of the nations which dwell on this side of the river Halys;
This Crœsus, first of all the Barbarians of whom we know, subdued certain of the Hellenes and forced them to pay tribute, while others he gained over and made them his friends.[One day] there came to Sardis all the wise men of Hellas of that time.. One of them was Solon the Athenian.
[After showing his wealth,] Crœsus asked Solon: “Athenian guest, we’ve heard a lot about you, both in regard to your intelligence and your wanderings [...] I desire to ask you whether yet you have seen the man who is the most happy”
He asked supposing that he himself was the happiest of men; but Solon, using no flattery but the truth only, said: “Yes, 0 king, Tellos the Athenian."
The king asked again whom he had seen proper to be placed next, supposing that he himself would certainly obtain at least the second place.
Solon, however, replied: “Cleobis and Biton"... Thus Solon assigned the second place for happiness to these.
Crœsus was moved to anger and said: “Athenian guest, have you then so cast aside our prosperous state as worth nothing, that you prefer to us even men of private station?”
0 Crœsus, man is altogether a creature of accident. As for you, I perceive that you are both great in wealth and king of many men, but what you asked me I cannot call you yet, until I learn that you have brought your life to a fair ending.
The very rich man is not at all to be accounted more happy than he who has but his subsistence [...] In truth the very rich man who is not happy has two advantages only as compared with the poor man who is fortunate, whereas this latter has many as compared with the rich man who is not happy. The rich man is able better to fulfil his desire, and also to endure a great calamity if it fall upon him; whereas the other has these advantages over him:
—he is not indeed able equally with the rich man to endure a calamity or to fulfil his desire, but these his good fortune keeps away from him, while he is sound of limb, free from disease, untouched by suffering, the father of fair children and handsome himself. If in addition to this he shall end his life well, he is worthy to be called that which you seekest, namely a happy man; but before he comes to his end it is well to hold back and not to call him happy yet but only fortunate....
But we must for every thing examine the end and how it will turn out at the last, for to many God shows but a glimpse of happiness and then plucks them up by the roots and overturns them.”
[Years later after Crœsus was taken prisoner and aboug to be burned alive (but spared) by the Persians] a memory of the saying of Solon, how he had said with divine inspiration that no one of the living might be called happy And when this thought occurred, they say that he sighed deeply and groaned aloud, having for long been silent, and three times he uttered the name of Solon.
When Cyrus had marched away from Sardis, Pactyas caused the Lydians to revolt from Tabalos and from Cyrus.
Hearing this on his way, Cyrus [asked] Crœsus: “Crœsus, what end shall I find of these affairs? The Lydians will not cease as it seems, from giving trouble to me and from having it themselves."
Crœsus answered: King, you have spoken reasonably; but do not altogether give vent to your wrath, nor destroy an ancient city... As for what is now being done, since the wrongdoer is Pactyas to whom you entrusted Sardis, let him pay the penalty. But the Lydians please pardon, and lay upon them commands as follows:
in order that they may not revolt nor be a cause of danger to you:—forbid them to possess weapons of war
[and make them] put on tunics under their outer garments and loafers on their feet, and proclaim to them that they train their sons to play the lyre and the harp and to be retail-dealers. Soon youshall see, King, that they have become women instead of men, so that there will be no fear that they will revolt.”
Next in cleverness to that, is this other custom which was established among them:—they bear out the sick into the market-place; for they make no use of physicians.
So people come up to the sick man and give advice about his disease, if any one himself ever suffered anything like that which the sick man has, or saw any other who had suffered it; and coming near they advise and recommend those means by which they have themselves got rid of a like disease or seen some other get rid of it.
To pass by the sick man in silence is not permitted to them, nor to leave before one has asked what disease he has.