In ancient Greece, Adys was a handsome and brave prince. One year, his father, King Croesus, had a strange dream that foretold the prince would be fatally stabbed. To prevent this, the king tried every possible measure—but what would the outcome be?
During the ancient Greek period, Croesus (c. 595–546 BCE) ruled the kingdom of Lydia, located west of the Halys River, and was the first to conquer Greece. Under his reign, “all Greeks were free.”
King Croesus had two sons. One was born deaf and mute, with severe disabilities, and his name was not even recorded in history. The other son was Adys (Atys), courageous and skilled in warfare, often leading troops into battle—a truly exceptional prince.
One day, Croesus had a dream. In it, he foresaw that his son Adys would be killed by a sharp iron weapon. Upon waking, he recalled the dream and felt a chill of terror. To prevent this, the king relieved Adys of his military duties, removing all spears, javelins, and other sharp weapons from the prince’s chambers.
While the king was arranging the prince’s marriage, a young man arrived at the capital seeking refuge and a ritual to cleanse his sins. This young man, Adrastus (often called Ad), was a member of the royal family of Phrygia. After accidentally killing his own brother, he was exiled by his father Gordias and stripped of all his privileges.
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In ancient Greek culture, there was a ritual to cleanse sin. Those guilty of killing a relative could have their sins absolved by a king, oracle, or priest. Without it, they would spend the rest of their lives in exile and penance to purify themselves. Fearing divine punishment, the young man begged the king to forgive him.
A ritual performed
Croesus performed the cleansing ritual for him. He comforted the young man, telling him to stay and not dwell on his tragic past, and to take care of himself. Ad then settled in Lydia and soon became friends with Prince Adys.
In a neighboring country, Mysia, a monstrous boar was wreaking havoc, and no one could defeat it. They requested help from Lydia, asking Prince Adys to lead troops to kill the creature. Croesus, recalling his dreadful dream, agreed only to send soldiers and all hunting dogs—but not Adys. Still, the Mysians were satisfied with this response.
Adys, who believed that warfare and hunting were noble and glorious pursuits, wanted to participate. Angered that his father denied him, he asked if Croesus thought him cowardly. Croesus then explained the divine warning in the dream, saying he wished to protect his beloved son.
Adys argued that since the dream mentioned a sharp iron weapon, it must be a spear—boar tusks are not iron, and the creature had no hands to throw a spear. Convinced by this reasoning, Croesus allowed him to go. To be safe, he summoned Ad to take care of Adys and ensure no harm came to him.
Ad, considering himself a sinner, was eager to repay the king’s kindness. He promised to protect Adys with all his strength. Together with the army and hunting dogs, they set out for Mysia. In the hunt, the men attacked the boar and threw iron spears. Ad also hurled a spear—but tragically, it struck Prince Adys instead.
The news reached Lydia. Croesus was devastated; all precautions had been in vain. His son had been fatally stabbed—by the very man whose sins he had absolved. Overcome with grief, he could only cry out to the gods in despair.
Ad stood by as the prince’s body was returned, allowing the king to decide his fate. He willingly accepted death beside the prince. Though stricken with the agony of losing his son, Croesus comforted him: “Since you have declared your own death, I have received from you the full recompense I need.”
The king understood this was the fulfillment of prophecy; the young man was not at fault. The death of his son was beyond human control, as revealed by the oracle. Croesus forgave Ad and buried his son. After the funeral, Ad, waiting until everyone had left, stood alone by the grave and took his own life to atone for his sins.
This story is recorded in Herodotus’ Histories (Book 1), and in Stephen Fry’s Heroes (Chapter 3, p.79), translated by Huang Tianyi.
