The Death of Codrus

There was once a man named Heracles who was the rightful king of Sparta. Sadly, Sparta had been taken over by the Ionians. The rightful heir to the throne amassed an army and re-conquered his homelands.

The Ionians survivors of Sparta went to Athens, where they told the king of their misery. The Athenian king, Codrus, feeling sorry for them amassed his army, but he consulted the oracle at Delphi before going to war. The oracle told him that he would have to die so that his army would win the battle, so Codrus led his troops into battle dressed up like a common soldier. Amidst the battle, the king died, and his troops routed the enemy.