Who was Croesus?

   Croesus, King of Lydia. Died about 546 B.C. Croesus became King of Lydia in 560 B.C. and, by conquest, extended his realm to include much of Asia Minor. Disturbed by the rising power of Persia under Cyrus the Great, Croesus consulted the oracle at Delphi and interpreted the answer to mean that he could conquer the Persians. Cyrus, however, drove Croesus back to Lydia, and in 546 the Persians captured the capital city of Sardis. Croesus' capture and death inspired many Greek and Persian legends. One is that he tried to commit suicide but was rescued by Cyrus, who gave him a position of honor in the Persian court. Croesus was renowned for his enormous wealth.