Pilots - 12. Postscript

King Croesus of Lydia, then the richest man in the world, asked the Greek sage, Solon, who was the happiest man Solon knew. Solon told of a man of modest but adequate means, who lived in a good city, who saw his children grow to adulthood and have children of their own, who died in battle defending his city, and who was buried at public expense.

This was not the answer Croesus expected, nor the one he wanted. Hoping that Solon would name Croesus, himself as a happy man, the king asked Solon who was the second happiest man.

Solon told of two young men who, lacking oxen to pull a cart to take their mother to the temple for a festival honoring Hera, hitched themselves to the cart and pulled it 100 stadia to the temple. Those who saw this feat praised and honored the young men for their devotion to their mother and for their prowess.

The mother asked Hera to grant her sons the greatest gift the goddess could give. Hera invited the young men into the temple, to lie down, and to sleep. Hera then caused them to die while they were asleep. Hera had granted them her greatest gift: to die peacefully at the peak of their vitality and honor.

Herodotus told us through this story that we cannot know if someone is happy until after he is dead, for no matter how happy a person might be or seem to be, his fortunes can change without warning.