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[1]
I will now relate what happened to Croesus himself. He had a son, whom I have already mentioned, fine in other respects, but mute. Now in his days of prosperity past Croesus had done all that he could for his son; and besides resorting to other devices he had sent to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to inquire of the oracle concerning him.
I will now relate what happened to Croesus himself. He had a son, whom I have already mentioned, fine in other respects, but mute. Now in his days of prosperity past Croesus had done all that he could for his son; and besides resorting to other devices he had sent to Delphi [22.5167,38.4917] (Perseus) Delphi to inquire of the oracle concerning him.
[2] The
Pythian priestess answered him thus:
“
Lydian, king of many, greatly foolish
Croesus,
Wish not to hear in the palace the voice often prayed for
Of your son speaking.
It were better for you that he remain mute as before;
For on an unlucky day shall he first speak.”
[3] So at the taking of the fortification a certain
Persian, not knowing who
Croesus was, came at him meaning to kill him.
Croesus saw him coming, but because of the imminent disaster he was past caring, and it made no difference to him whether he were struck and killed.
[4] But this mute son, when he saw the
Persian coming on, in fear and distress broke into speech and cried, “Man, do not kill
Croesus!” This was the first word he uttered, and after that for all the rest of his life he had power of speech.
Histories. Herodotus. ed. A.D. Godley. Cambridge. 1920-1925.
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