This was how Croesus reasoned. Meanwhile, snakes began to swarm in the outer part of the city; and when they appeared the horses, leaving their accustomed pasture, devoured them. When Croesus saw this he thought it a portent, and so it was.

He at once sent to the homes of the Telmessian interpreters,These were a caste of priests of Apollo at Telmessus or Telmissus in Lycia (region (general)), Turkey, Asia Lycia. tw=n e)chghte/wn *telmhsse/wn is contrary to Greek usage, e)chghth/s being a substantive: Stein suggests that the true reading may be *telmhsse/wn tw=n e)chghte/wn. to inquire concerning it; but though his messengers came and learned from the Telmessians what the portent meant, they could not bring back word to Croesus, for he was a prisoner before they could make their voyage back to Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis.

Nonetheless, this was the judgment of the Telmessians: that Croesus must expect a foreign army to attack his country, and that when it came, it would subjugate the inhabitants of the land: for the snake, they said, was the offspring of the land, but the horse was an enemy and a foreigner. This was the answer which the Telmessians gave Croesus, knowing as yet nothing of the fate of Sardis [28.0167,38.475] (Perseus) Sardis and of the king himself; but when they gave it, Croesus was already taken.