The Suburban Times

A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County.

  • Home
  • To Know
  • To Do
  • To Ponder
  • Obituaries
  • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • More
    • Share your story
    • Submit an Event
    • Contact

Planning, Parables, and Profit

June 18, 2018 By Don Doman

Usually in ancient stories and fables there are elements of truth. We see the same thing in news reports and speeches today. There’s generally just enough truth in stories to make them plausable. For example, we all know about the “midas touch.” The story of King Midas, tells of Midas’s ability to turn everything he touched to gold. Perhaps, he just had a good press agent and marketing empire. After turning his young daughter to gold and almost dieing because his food turned to gold, he supposedly washed his hands in the River Pactolus, which turned the river sands to gold. The element of truth here is that probably gold was found along the riverbed. Years after Midas we hear about King Croesus of Lydia in the same general geographical area. As with many people of power and money, King Croesus wanted more. It wasn’t enough that he minted coins with his image, his armies expanded his territory and soon controlled most of the land now known as Turkey. He was already rich, so rich that the phrase “As rich as Croesus” still has meaning.

Years after Midas we hear about King Croesus of Lydia in the same general geographical area.

Like today, riches were mostly made though commerce and trade. After gaining control of the Greek cities along the coast Croesus hoped to expand across the seas. He even made a pact with Sparta, the powerful Greek city-state. He also was busy making plans to conquer all the Greek islands where trade between countries was making them rich. His strategy was to build a navy and sail to each island and seize their ships. When a prominant Greek traveled to Croesus’s capitol city of Sardis, far inland from the coast. Croesus invited the Greek to meet with him so he could pump the Greek for details on what was happening in their part of the world.

Croesus invited the Greek to meet with him so he could pump the Greek for details on what was happening in their part of the world. (Knüpfer, Nikolaus (1603 – 1655) – Dutch artist)

After a little wine, entertainment and lots of boasting, Croesus asked what the Greeks were up to. The visitor shared the news that the Greeks were in the process of amassing ten thousand horses with which to invade and overcome Lydia. Croesus could barely contain himself. He smelled opportuniy. The Greeks were island people and knew absolutely nothing about cavalry, horses and armies. The king said something like, “May the gods tempt them and give them speed. How laughable that the islanders think they can simply ride in here and defeat us without knowing knowing anything about warfare and deployment!” He was almost drooling thinking of the upcoming Greek defeat on his land with his well trained men. The visitor could easily see what was going on in the king’s mind and held back snickering and said, “Really, the Greeks pray that you will attack them instead. They dream of meeting your people in battle on the seas where they are experts.”

The smile of delight faded from the face of Croesus, as he saw the reality of the situation. He abandoned his plans for invading Greece. Every circumstance requires planning and consideration. Choose your battles. Know your opponent. The same goes for business as well as diplomancy and statesmanship. Actually, the Greeks honed their battle skills on both the sea and the land. Around two hundred years later Alexander defeated anyone he found before him.

Actually, the Greeks honed their battle skills on both the sea and the land.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

About Don Doman

Don Doman: Professional writer and author. Ideas and Training - Human Resources/business training products for modern business. PublicDoman - Video production, internet video, website construction and online marketing and social media. NW Adventures - Fun places to visit in the Pacific Northwest: Great Restaurants, Lodging, and People. The Doman Directories - Business directory listings for many categories in Tacoma, Pierce County, and Washington State. FindItWashington - Local search engine for Washington State.

Comments

  1. John Arbeeny says

    June 19, 2018 at 8:04 am

    If you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.

    Sun Tzu 6th Century BC

    • Don Doman says

      June 19, 2018 at 8:55 am

      John,
      Yes . . . I’ve seen many people who could have written the “Fart” of War, but not the art . . . Many people think that Sun Tzu wrote about war, but in reality he wrote about life . . . and its struggles perhaps, but isn’t that what life is?
      Thanks for reading . . . and your writing.
      Don

Top Stories

  • The Little Shopping Center on South Cedar Just Around the Corner
    The Little Shopping Center on South Cedar Just Around the Corner
  • Letter: Petition to Save the Beavers of the Farrell's Marsh in Steilacoom
    Letter: Petition to Save the Beavers of the Farrell's Marsh in Steilacoom
  • Dunagan Irish Pub & Brewery opening in Gig Harbor
    Dunagan Irish Pub & Brewery opening in Gig Harbor
  • Permit filed for 22-unit multifamily development in Lakewood
    Permit filed for 22-unit multifamily development in Lakewood
  • Obituary Notices - March 3, 2021
    Obituary Notices - March 3, 2021

Become a better informed citizen.

Join over 30,000 readers each month and get real-local news and information direct to your inbox, Monday-Saturday.


Recent Comments

  • DAVID ANDERSON on My Better Angels
  • chris on Kimball achieves prestigious Top of the Table qualification
  • Gregory Horn on Kimball achieves prestigious Top of the Table qualification
  • Laura Hofberg on Malcolm and Marie (2021) Movie Review
  • Kellie on Letter: Petition to Save the Beavers of the Farrell’s Marsh in Steilacoom

Contact Us

The Suburban Times
P.O. Box 39099
Lakewood, WA 98496

Ben Sclair, Publisher
253-312-1804

Stephen Neufeld, Marketing Executive
stephen@thesubtimes.com

Copyright © 2021 The Suburban Times • Log in • Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.