Editing Croesus (section)

===Votive offerings to Delphi===
Croesus also continued the good relations between Lydia and the sanctuary of the god [[Apollo]] in Delphi on continental Greece first established by his great-great-grandfather Gyges and maintained by his father Alyattes, and just like his ancestors, Croesus offered the sanctuary rich presents in dedication, including a lion made of gold and weighing ten talents. In exchange for the offerings of Croesus to the sanctuary of Apollo, the Lydians obtained precedence in consulting its oracle, were exempt from taxes, were allowed to sit at the first rank, and were granted the permission to become Delphian priests. These exchanges of gifts for privileges in turn meant that strong relations of hospitality existed between Lydia and Delphi due to which the Delphians had the duty to welcome, protect, and ensure the well-being of Lydian ambassadors.<ref name="Evans"/><ref name="Leloux-1"/>

Croesus further increased his contacts with the Greeks on the European continent by establishing relations with the city-state of [[Sparta]], to whom he provided the gold they needed to gild a statue of the god Apollo after the oracle of Delphi told them they would obtain this gold from Croesus.<ref name="Leloux-1"/>