Page:Greece from the Coming of the Hellenes to AD. 14.djvu/111

Rh kind. To his surprise Solon first mentioned a private Athenian named Tellus, who had enjoyed a prosperous life, with fair sons and grandsons, and had died fighting for his country in the very moment of victory; and secondly, two Argives, called Cleobis and Biton, who at the feast of Hera dragged the waggon carrying their mother to the temple, because the oxen were late in coming, and for whom their mother then prayed the goddess to give them in reward the greatest blessing possible for man. The two youths after the banquet fell asleep in the temple, and never woke again. On Croesus showing wonder and mortification, Solon addressed to him the famous warning that no one could be called happy till his death. The legend went on to tell how this warning was justified soon afterwards by the accidental death of his son at the hands of Adrastus, whom Croesus had received and purified from the pollution of a former involuntary homicide. But Croesus had soon after this last calamity reason to fear for his own life and kingdom.

The danger now threatening him was from the encroaching policy of Cyrus, founder of the Medo-Persian Empire. The great Assyrian Empire had broken up into two kingdoms, that of the Medes with Ecbatana for its capital, and that of the Babylonians. About B.C. 559, Cyrus led clown a mountain tribe of Persae, seized Ecbatana and dethroned the last Median king, Astyages, and thus became lord of a large part of Upper Asia. His only rival was the King of Babylon, whom he also conquered in B.C. 538. But in the meantime his energy was directed to