While reading, I came across the quote, "He [Billy] was rich as Croesus, something he had never expected to be, not in a million years" (Vonnegut 61). Vonnegut then goes on to describe his wealth by the number of doctors that work for him, and other investments he has made. When I first read this quote, I was stuck on the question, "Who is this Croesus guy?" So in this post, I decided I would do some research and talk about him.
Croesus, the king of Lydia from 560 to 547 BC until his defeat by the Persians, is most associated with his wealth. Being the king of Lydia came with its benefits. Croesus would live a life of luxury, something that comes with being a powerful king. He is credited with being the first foreigner to come in contact with Greece, and he even formed an alliance with Sparta. One of his biggest accomplishments is issuing the first true gold coins with a set value for general circulation. Later, Croesus is also credited with issuing silver coins in general circulation. Both ideas would become revolutionary in his time.
According to Wikipedia, "...expressions such as 'rich as Croesus' or 'richer than Croesus' are used to indicate great wealth to this day." Which, yes, these expressions might be used today, but honestly this is the first time I have heard these expressions or at least recognized them. I do have to give Vonnegut credit in using a very unique expression that I had to research to fully understand. This makes me realize just how clever Kurt Vonnegut really is.
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