…play agamemnon. They both are at least in part based on historical events. The first case that I want to tell you about is Croesus, King of Lydia. Apollo was the god of the sun, but in addition to being in charge of sunlight he had another specialty,…

…from the pythia, usually in a kind of trance back would come the advice from the gods, or at least from Apollo. Now Croesus was immensely rich. There's still a phrase: rich as Croesus. It's almost current just a little obsolete. One of the reasons he…

…back would come the advice from the gods, or at least from Apollo. Now Croesus was immensely rich. There's still a phrase: rich as Croesus. It's almost current just a little obsolete. One of the reasons he was so rich is that he was one of the boys…

…the boys who invented money. The first metal coins in human history, as far as we know, were coined in Lydia, in Croesus reign. Lydia is in anatolia, contemporary turkey. Well we can speculate on the reason, but Croesus Ambitions were not contained within…

…were coined in Lydia, in Croesus reign. Lydia is in anatolia, contemporary turkey. Well we can speculate on the reason, but Croesus Ambitions were not contained within the boundaries of his small nation he had grander objectives and so he thought: wouldn't…

…BC. The Persian emperor Cyrus had forged a mighty empire by combining two different peoples the persians and the medes. So Croesus had some degree of trepidation because of the power the power of the Persian Empire. So naturally he sent emissaries to…

…sent emissaries to the Oracle at Delphi. And the question put by his emissaries on Croesus's Behalf was: what will happen if Croesus makes war on Persia? And without hesitation the priestess answered: he will destroy a mighty empire. The gods are with us,…

…war on Persia? And without hesitation the priestess answered: he will destroy a mighty empire. The gods are with us, thought Croesus. Time to invade. So he assembled a vast mercenary army, invaded Persia and was promptly and humiliatingly defeated and not…

…a vast mercenary army, invaded Persia and was promptly and humiliatingly defeated and not only was Lydian power destroyed forever. But he, Croesus was forced to spend the REST of his life as a pathetic minor functionary in the Persian court, a hanger on…

…Living out his days as a consultant on the beltway in Washington D c. Well, the injustice of it really got to him. After all, Croesus had played by the rules. He had asked for advice from the pythia and she gave it to him. He acted on it and look…

…do this to me? And here from Herodotus, History is the answer from the god quote the prophecy given by Apollo ran that if Croesus made war upon Persia he would destroy a mighty empire. Now in the Face of that, said the priestess, if he had been well…

…well advised he should have sent and inquired again whether it was his own empire or that of Cyrus that was spoken of. But Croesus did not understand what was said, nor did he ask questions again, and so he has no one to blame but himself. So much…

…understand what was said, nor did he ask questions again, and so he has no one to blame but himself. So much for Croesus. Now if the delphic Oracle was just a kind of institutionalized scam to fleece credulous kings then of course it would have needed…

…a river in Egypt. So these two cases, I claim, are the opposite poles of policy response to predictions of disaster: Croesus, representing the pole of sort of credulous, uncritical acceptance propelled a little bit by greed or other character flaws and…

…I'll choose the one that's most comfortable. I think we are much closer to the danger of Cassandra Than to the danger of Croesus now let me give a very brief statement of why I take greenhouse warming so seriously. Those of you who have attended the…