“Oh, Croesus,” Solon replied calmly, “you asked me a question about human happiness. This is a serious question, because the power above us is often jealous and likes to disturb human lives.” Solon believed that the gods do not allow people to feel safe for too long. Human life, in his view, is full of change and surprise.
Solon explained that a long life allows a person to see many things. Some of these things bring joy, but many bring pain. Often, people experience events they would never choose if they had a choice. Because of this, Solon warned that no one should be quick to call a person happy Private Tour Guide Sofia.
The Length of a Human Life
Solon then spoke about the length of human life. He said that seventy years should be considered the natural limit of a man’s life. Within these seventy years, there are 25,200 days, not counting extra months added to fix the calendar. When an extra month is added every other year to keep the seasons correct, there are thirty-five additional months, which equal 1,050 more days.
This brings the total number of days in a seventy-year life to 26,250 days. Solon pointed out that no two days are exactly the same. Each day brings new events, some good and some bad. Because of this constant change, human life is ruled largely by chance. No one can fully control what will happen.
Wealth Does Not Guarantee Happiness
Solon then turned his attention back to Croesus. He admitted that Croesus was extremely rich and ruled over many nations. However, Solon explained that wealth alone does not make a person happy. He said he could not answer Croesus’s question about happiness until he knew how Croesus’s life would end Solon Continues His Lesson to Croesus.
Solon stated clearly that a man with great riches is no closer to happiness than a man who has just enough to meet his daily needs. Wealth matters only if good fortune stays with a person until the very end of life. Many rich people lose their fortune or suffer great misery. At the same time, many people with modest means enjoy long-lasting good luck.
The Truly Fortunate Man
Solon compared wealthy men with those who live simple lives. He said the rich have two main advantages. They can satisfy their desires more easily, and they can better survive sudden disasters. However, the simple man often has many other blessings. He may enjoy good health, a strong body, freedom from disease, happiness in his children, and a pleasant appearance.
If such a man also lives without major misfortune and dies peacefully, Solon believed he deserves to be called truly happy. Until a man dies, Solon warned, he should not be called happy, but only fortunate.
No Life Is Perfect
Solon reminded Croesus that no person has everything. Just as no country has all it needs, no human life is complete. Something is always missing. Only the person who gathers the greatest number of blessings and keeps them until death can truly be called happy.
The Importance of the End
Solon ended his lesson with a powerful warning. In every matter, people must look to the end. The gods often give a person a moment of happiness, only to later bring disaster. Because of this, Solon believed that only the final outcome of a life determines true happiness.
This wisdom, though difficult for Croesus to accept, remains one of the strongest lessons of ancient history.
