CR(ESUS. 23

the age, placed him on a pile of wood, with the inten- tion of burning him alive. Then Croesus bethought him of the wise words of Solon, how no man should be accounted happy until the end, and in his anguish called aloud thrice upon Solon's name. Cyrus asked the meaning of the cry, and when he heard the story, was so touched that he ordered the pile, which was already lighted, to be put out. But this could not be done by all their exertions until Croesus prayed to Apollo for aid, when suddenly a great storm of rain came on and extinguished the fire. Cyrus treated his royal prisoner with all honour. When the Persian soldiers began to plunder Sardis, Crcesus inquired of his conqueror what they were doing. " Spoiling thy goods, Croesus." " Nay, not mine," replied the fallen monarch, " but thine, Cyrus." Then Cyrus stopped the sack of the city, and in grati- tude for the suggestion of Croesus, begged him to name any favour he could do him. " My lord," said he, " suffer me to send these chains to the god at Delphi, and to ask if this is how he requites his benefactors, and whether ingratitude is an attribute of Greek gods in general 1 " For Crcesus had loaded the shrine of Apollo with costly presents. The message was sent, and the priestess of the oracle made this reply : " Croesus atones for his forefather Gyges, who slew Candaules his mas- ter. Apollo desired that the judgment should fall on the son of Croesus and not on himself, but the gods themselves cannot avert fate. The god did what he could, for he deferred the fall of Sardis three years beyond the destined time : secondly, he put out the fire, and prevented Croesus being burnt alive : thirdly, he did not give a lying oracle, for he only said that