Croesus << KREE suhs >> (reigned 560-546 B.C.) was the last king of Lydia, a country in western Asia Minor (now Turkey). Croesus raised Lydia to the peak of its power. He conquered Greek coastal cities and extended his empire to the Halys River (now the Kizil River) in central Asia Minor. During Croesus’s reign, Lydia achieved vast wealth through gold mining and extensive trade.
Croesus succeeded his father, Alyattes, as king. In 549 B.C., he formed an alliance with Babylonia, Egypt, and Sparta against Persia. He attacked the Persians about 545 B.C., expecting help from his allies. But help could not reach him, and he withdrew to Sardis, his capital. The Persian leader Cyrus the Great followed Croesus to Sardis, defeated him, and made Lydia part of the Persian Empire. 
