After receiving all the promises and assurances, King Croesus finally allowed the group to depart. His heart was uneasy, but he trusted the words spoken to him. Atys left Sardis together with Adrastus, a chosen group of young warriors, and many trained hunting dogs. They were well equipped and full of confidence as they traveled toward Mount Olympus in Mysia.
When they arrived at the mountain, the hunters spread out across the land. Each group searched carefully for the dangerous boar that had destroyed fields and frightened villages. The dogs soon caught the scent, and before long the huge animal was found. It rushed out from its hiding place, fierce and powerful.
The hunters quickly surrounded the boar in a wide circle. They shouted, moved closer, and began throwing their spears one after another, trying to bring the beast down New News Reaches Croesus.
A Fatal Mistake
Among the hunters was Adrastus, the Phrygian noble who had once come to Croesus as a suppliant. He had been purified of blood and welcomed into the royal house. Now he stood among the others, spear in hand, aiming at the wild animal.
At the moment of attack, Adrastus threw his spear with force. But fate took a cruel turn. The spear missed the boar completely. Instead, it struck Prince Atys.
The iron point pierced him, and he fell to the ground. In that instant, the terrible dream of Croesus came true. Atys, the beloved son of the king, was killed by an iron weapon, just as the vision had foretold.
The hunters were struck with horror. The boar was forgotten. Cries of shock and sorrow filled the air as they realized what had happened.
The News Reaches Sardis
At once, one of the men was sent running back to Sardis. He carried the dreadful message to the king. When he arrived, he told Croesus everything—about the hunt, the attack, and the death of his son.
The news struck Croesus like a thunderbolt. No pain could be greater for a father than the loss of his child. Yet his sorrow grew even deeper when he learned how the tragedy had happened.
Croesus Calls Upon the Gods
What wounded Croesus most was the knowledge that the man who caused his son’s death was Adrastus—the very man he had purified, protected, and welcomed into his home. Croesus had treated him as a guest and trusted him as a guardian for his son Sofia Day Tour.
Overcome by grief and despair, Croesus cried out loudly to Jupiter Catharsius, the god of purification. He called upon the god as a witness to his suffering, reminding him that the man he had purified had now repaid kindness with tragedy.
Later, Croesus called upon the same god by other sacred names. He named him Jupiter Ephistius, because he had unknowingly given shelter to the man who would bring ruin to his house. He also called him Jupiter Hetaereus, because the stranger sent to guard his son had become, through fate, his greatest enemy.
The Cruel Power of Fate
Thus ended the life of Atys, and thus was the warning of the dream fulfilled. No human care, wisdom, or love could prevent what destiny had prepared. Croesus, once proud and confident in his happiness, now learned through suffering the truth of Solon’s words: no man should be called happy until his life has truly come to an end.
