STORY TIME: Croesus of Lydia & the Oracle’s Deadly Prophecy
Description
Croesus of Lydia was the richest king in the ancient world — his wealth legendary, his confidence unshakable. But when he sought advice from the Oracle of Delphi before going to war with Persia, a single prophecy changed everything.
In this Have To Know History Story Time episode, Jason Freewalt tells the dramatic rise and fall of Croesus — from golden palaces to fiery ruin:
The incredible wealth of the Lydian Empire
The fateful prophecy: “If you cross the river, a great empire will fall”
How Croesus misread the oracle’s words and doomed his own kingdom
The conquest of Lydia by Cyrus the Great and the Persian Empire
This is Have To Know History — history you just have to know.
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