the littoral by contracting alliances with the island populations and
with the nations of Greece proper.*

* He seems to have been deterred from his project by a
sarcastic remark made, as some say, by Pittakos the
Mitylenian, or according to others, by Bias of Priênê.

Following the diplomacy of his ancestors, he began by devoting himself
to the gods of the country, and took every pains to gain the good graces
of Apollo of Delphi. He dispensed his gifts with such liberality that
neither his contemporaries nor subsequent generations grew weary
of admiring it. On one occasion he is said to have sacrificed three
thousand animals, and burnt, moreover, on the pyre the costly contents
of a palace--couches covered with silver and gold, coverlets and robes
of purple, and golden vials. His subjects were commanded to contribute
to the offering, and he caused one hundred and seventeen hollow
half-bricks to be cast of the gold which they brought him for this
purpose. These bricks were placed in regular layers within the treasury
at Delphi where the gifts of Lydia from the time of Alyattes were
deposited, and the top of the pile was surmounted by a lion of fine
gold of such a size that the pedestal and statue together were worth
£1,200,000 of our present money. These, however, formed only a tithe of
his gifts; many of the objects dedicated by him were dispersed half a
century (548 B.C.) later when the temple was burnt, and found their
way into the treasuries of the Greek states which enjoyed the favour
of Apollo--among them being an enormous gold cup sent to Clazomeme, and
four barrels of silver and two bowls, one of silver and one of gold,
sent to the Corinthians. The people at Delphi, as well as their god,
participated in the royal largesse, and Croesus distributed to them
the sum of two staters per head. No doubt their gratitude led them by