King of the Lydians, thinking himself to be the richest and most fortunate man, summoned Solon the Athenian, a wise man, showed off his treasuries and his other riches to him and asked him, "Who, of all men, do you consider fortunate?" And he said "Tellos the Athenian,[1] who lived blessedly and died fighting for his country." And learning this he asked, "So who after Tellos?" Solon said, "Cleobis and Biton, Argives by birth, whose mother Theano or Kydippe[2] was a priestess and intended to lead a procession in the traditional festival in a wagon as far as the temple of Hera; as the oxen were delayed, her sons bent their own necks and dragged the wagon and took their mother to the precinct. And after their mother had prayed to Hera that the most beautiful thing for men might come to them, in the following night they were found dead."
Aelian said about Croesus: "groaning he fetched up a sigh and called out 'Solon!' three times."[3]