What was going on: In a story Herodotus tells, the Athenian Solon is a guest of Croesus, a very rich king. Croesus is annoyed that Solon ranks ordinary men above him in happiness, and Solon answers by counting up the days in a seventy-year life.
In a seventy-year life, no two days bring the same thing. A human life is all chance.
Out of all these days in the seventy years, all twenty-six thousand, two hundred and fifty of them, not one brings anything at all like another. So, Croesus, man is entirely chance.
Solon speaking, as Herodotus tells it. Herodotus, Histories 1.32.4, translated by A. D. Godley (1920)
What was going on: As Herodotus tells it, Solon is at Sardis with a king who is very rich and rules many people. The king has asked him a question, and Solon says he cannot answer until he knows how the king's life ends.
Only someone whose life also ends well deserves to be called fortunate. Until they die, just call them lucky.
If besides all this he ends his life well, then he is the one whom you seek, the one worthy to be called fortunate. But refrain from calling him fortunate before he dies; call him lucky.
Solon speaking, as Herodotus tells it. Herodotus, Histories 1.32.7, translated by A. D. Godley (1920)
What was going on: As Herodotus tells it, Croesus was on a burning pyre when a sudden storm put out the fire. Cyrus had him brought down and asked who persuaded him to make war on him; this is part of Croesus' answer.
Nobody is foolish enough to choose war over peace. In peace, children bury their parents. In war, parents bury their children.
No one is so foolish as to choose war over peace. In peace sons bury their fathers, in war fathers bury their sons.
Croesus speaking, as Herodotus tells it. Herodotus, Histories 1.87.4, translated by A. D. Godley (1920)
