488 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [December, 1914.] 



married Croesus' sister. The fall of Astyages was a fit oppor- 

 tunity for the ambitious Lydian to turn his arm towards the 

 East, the restoration of his brother-in-law being a sufficient 

 plea. Croesus consulted the celebrated oracle of Delphi, and 

 the answer returned was that if he crossed the Halys he would 

 destroy a mighty empire. Croesus invaded Cappadocia. 

 Cyrus drove him back to Lydia and won a decisive victorv 

 under the walls of Sardis, which fell into his hands after a 

 short siege. The fate of Croesus is lost in mystery and fable. 

 The story of Croesus, ascending the funeral pyre and suddenly 

 remembering the name of Solon the Athenian, is well known. 

 Nothing now remains of Croesus but some pillars dedicated by 

 him in a temple of Artemis in Ephesus. The bases bear 

 inscriptions " Dedicated by King Croesus." 



I am indebted to Prof. Brown for helping me with some 

 valuable materials in writing this paper. 



Mrityunjoy Roychowdhury. 



Note. —The photographs of the coins from which the plates 

 accompanying article No. 125 of N S. No. XXII, published in 

 the Society's Journal for May 1914, were taken by my friend 

 Mr. D. R. Bhandarkar, Superintendent, Arch geological Sur- 

 vey, Western Circle, from casts, which he also prepared. 



I may be permitted now to make the acknowledgment, 

 which I inadvertently omitted from the end of my paper, of 

 his kindness and of the careful and skilful manner in which 

 he has prepared the photographs. 



Sural. 



A. Master. 



