"'A whole civilization will die tonight' sounds uncomfortably like what the Oracle at Delphi told Croesus of Lydia before he attacked Persia. If we really are committed to the destruction of an entire civilization then we have lost our own." —Gerard T. Baker

Photo by Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis via Getty Images

An ancient oracle warned invading Persia would backfire – from Croesus to Trump, rulers have failed to listen

Published: April 2, 2026 12:08am EDT

Invasions of ancient Persia were always daunting tasks. They often led to disaster.

In the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, the Persian empire came to dominate a vast and varied geography with Iran at its heart. ... Comprising modern Iran, Iraq, Turkey, the Persian Gulf and parts of other neighbouring countries, the Persian Empire was established and ruled by the Achaemenids. This powerful dynasty lasted all the way to about 330 BCE when Alexander the Great defeated its last ruler, Darius III.

But in the early days of this Achaemenid Persian expansion (546 BCE), the legendary King Croesus (from Lydia, in western Turkey) decided to challenge it. ... Reputedly the richest man in the world, Croesus consulted the famed Oracle of Apollo at Delphi (in Greece). The oracle, according to ancient writer Herodotus, told Croesus:

that if he should send an army against the Persians he would destroy a great empire.

Croesus’ subsequent invasion and defeat by the Persian king, Cyrus, saw the destruction of his own empire. The oracle accurately foretold the outcome but not as Croesus had hoped.

{snip}