defining lydia

8/8/2019 Defining Lydia

1/25

Defining Lydia

The endonymfard (the name the Lydians called themselves) survives in bilingual and trilingual stone-

carved notices of theAchaemenid Empire: the satrapy ofSparda (Old

Persian),AramaicSaparda, BabylonianSapardu, ElamiticIbarda.[1] These in the Greek tradition are

associated with Sardis, the capital city ofGyges, constructed in the 7th century BC.

The cultural ancestors appear to have been associated with or part of the Luwian political entity

ofArzawa; yet Lydian is not part of the Luwian subgroup (as is Carian and Lycian).

Despite events portrayed as historic in Virgil's epic poem the Aeneidand the Etruscan-like language of

the Lemnos stele, the recent decipherment ofLydian and its classification as an Anatolian language

mean that Etruscan and Lydian were not even in the same language family; moreover, there is no

substantial evidence of Etruscans in Lydia.

[edit]Geography

The boundaries of historical Lydia varied across the centuries. It was first bounded

by Mysia, Caria, Phrygia and coastal Ionia. Later on, the military power ofAlyattes and Croesus

expanded Lydia into an empire, with its capital at Sardis, which controlled all Asia Minor west of the River

Halys, except Lycia. Lydia never again shrank back into its original dimensions. After the Persian

conquest the Maeanderwas regarded as its southern boundary, and under Rome, Lydia comprised the

country between Mysia and Caria on the one side and Phrygia and theAegean on the other.

[edit]Language

The Lydian language was an Indo-European language in theAnatolian language family, related

to Luwian and Hittite. It used many prefixes and particles.[2]

Lydian finally became extinctduring the first

century BC.

[edit]History

[edit]Early history: Maeonia and Lydia

Lydia arose as a Neo-Hittite kingdom following the collapse of the Hittite Empire in the 12th century BC.

In Hittite times, the name for the region had beenArzawa, a Luwian-speaking area. According to Greek

source, the original name of the Lydian kingdom was Maionia (orMaeonia): Homer(Iliad ii. 865; v. 43, xi.

431) refers to the inhabitants of Lydia as Maiones(). Homer describes their capital not as Sardis

but as Hyde (Iliadxx. 385); Hyde may have been the name of the district where Sardis

stood.[3]

Later, Herodotus (Histories i. 7) adds that the "Meiones" were renamed Lydians after their

king, Lydus (), son ofAttis, in the mythical epoch that preceded the rise of the Heracleid dynasty.

This etiologicaleponym served to account for the Greek ethnic name Lydoi(). The Hebrew term for


2/25

Lydians, Lm (), as found in Jeremiah 46.9, is similarly considered to be derived from the

eponymous Lud son of Shem; in Biblical times, the Lydian warriors were also famous archers. Some

Maeones still existed in historical times in the upland interior along the River Hermus, where a town called

Maeonia existed, according to Pliny the Elder(NaturalHistorybook v:30) and Hierocles.

[edit]Lydia in Greek mythology

Lydian mythology is virtually unknown, and their literature and rituals lost, in the absence of any

monuments or archaeological finds with extensive inscriptions; therefore those myths involving Lydia are

mainly in the realm ofGreek mythology.

For the Greeks, Tantalus was a primordial ruler of mythic Lydia, and Niobe his proud daughter; her

husband Zethos linked the affairs of Lydia with Thebes, and through Pelops the line of Tantalus was part

of the founding myths ofMycenae's second dynasty.[4]

In Greek myth, Lydia was also the first home of the double-axe, the labrys.[5]

Omphale, daughter of the

river Iardanos, was a ruler of Lydia, whom Heracles was required to serve for a time. His adventures in

Lydia are the adventures of a Greek hero in a peripheral and foreign land: during his stay, Heracles

enslaved the Itones, killed Syleus who forced passers-by to hoe his vineyard; slew the serpent of the river

Sangarios;[6]

and captured the simian tricksters, the Cercopes. Accounts speak of at least one son born to

Omphale and Heracles:Diodorus Siculus (4.31.8) and Ovid (Heroides 9.54) mention a son Lamos, while

pseudo-Apollodorus (Bibliotheke 2.7.8) gives the name Agelaus, and Pausanias (2.21.3) names Tyrsenus

son of Heracles by "the Lydian woman."

All three heroic ancestors indicate a Lydian dynasty claiming descent from Heracles. Herodotus (1.7)refers to a Heraclid dynasty of kings who ruled Lydia, yet were perhaps not descended from Omphale. He

also mentions (1.94) the recurring legend that the Etruscan civilization was founded by colonists from

Lydia led by Tyrrhenus, brother of Lydus. However,Dionysius of Halicarnassus was skeptical of this story,

pointing out that the Etruscan language and customs were known to be totally dissimilar to those of the

Lydians. Later chronographers also ignored Herodotus's statement thatAgron was the first to be a king,

and includedAlcaeus, Belus, and Ninus in their list of kings of Lydia. Strabo (5.2.2) makes Atys, father of

Lydus and Tyrrhenus, to be a descendant of Heracles and Omphale. All other accounts place Atys,

Lydus, and Tyrrhenus among the pre-Heraclid kings of Lydia. The gold deposits in the riverPactolus that

were the source of the proverbial wealth ofCroesus (Lydia's last historical king) were said to have been

left there when the legendary king Midas ofPhrygia washed away the "Midas touch" in its waters.

[edit]First coinage


3/25

Early 6th century BC one-third stater coin.

According to Herodotus, the Lydians were the first people to introduce the use of gold and silvercoin and

the first to establish retail shops in permanent locations.[7]

It's not clear, however, whether Herodotus

meant that the Lydians were the first to introduce coins of pure gold and pure silver or the first precious

metal coins in general. Despite this ambiguity, this statement of Herodotus is one of the pieces of

evidence often cited in behalf of the argument that Lydians invented coinage, at least in the West, even

though the first coins were neither gold nor silver but an alloy of the two.[8]

The dating of these first stamped coins is one of the most frequently debated topics in ancient

numismatics,[9]

with dates ranging from 700 BC to 550 BC, but the most commonly held view is that they

were minted at or near the beginning of the reign of King Alyattes (sometimes incorrectly referred to

asAlyattes II), who ruled Lydia c. 610-550 BC.[10]

The first coins were made ofelectrum, an alloy of gold

and silver that occurs naturally but that was further debased by the Lydians with added silver and

copper.[11]

The largest of these coins are commonly referred to as a 1/3 stater(trite) denomination, weighing around

4.7 grams, though no full staters of this type have ever been found, and the 1/3 stater probably should

more correctly be referred to as a stater, after a type of a transversely held scale, the weights used in

such a scale, (from amcient Greek =to stand) and which also means "standard."[12]

These coins

were stamped with a lion's head adorned with what's likely a sunburst, which was the king's symbol.[13]

To

complement the largest denomination, fractions were made, including a hekte (sixth), hemihekte (twelfth),

and so forth down to a 96th, with the 1/96 stater weighing only about 0.15 grams. There is disagreement,

however, over whether the fractions below the twelfth are actually Lydian.[14]

Alyattes' son was Croesus, who became synonymous with wealth. Sardis was renowned as a beautiful

city. Around 550 BC, near the beginning of his reign, Croesus paid for the construction of

the temple ofArtemis at Ephesus, which became one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world.

Croesus was defeated in battle by Cyrus IIof Persia in 546 BC, with the Lydian kingdom losing its

autonomy and becoming a Persian satrapy.


4/25

Lydia is an ancient country that was part of Asia Minor that is now known as Turkey. It consists of the

valleys between the Hermus and Cayster rivers. (These rivers are currently called the Gediz and

Bykmenderes rivers.) Homer, the infamous Greek writer knew the Lydian country by the name

Maeonia. It was best known for its fertile soil, rich deposits of gold and silver, (which later became part of

their coining,) and its magnificent capital, Sardis. A few other accomplishments of the Lydians includeIonian Sciences, the touchstone, and fair treatment of conquered peoples. Lydia's major language is now

known as one of the Anatolian languages.

Lydia reached its peak in power under the dynasty of the Mermnadae, beginning about 685BC. By the 6th

century BC Lydian conquests had transformed the kingdom into an empire. Its borders reached up to

Greece! The most famous Lydian King, King Croesus, Lydia's last great' king and most wealthy king ever

of Lydia watched as him empire attained its greatest splendor. In fact, Croesus was so rich, people still

say today, "As rich as Croesus"

The empire came to a surprisingly nasty end, however, when the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great captured

Sardis, the Lydian capital about 546BC and incorporated Maeonia, (Lydia,) into the Persian Empire. After

the defeat of Persia by Alexander III, king of Macedonia, Lydia was brought under Greco-Macedonian

control. In 133BC it became part of the Roman province of Asia.

Lydia's Major Accomplishment

"It was here in the little known kingdom of Lydia that humans first produced coins, and it was here the first

great revolution began. The revolution was destined to have a far greater impact than all the heroes of

ancient Greece. "

Lydia's most famous accomplishment is its coinage of money. A combination of silver and gold, (common

resources of the area,) it is considered the first country ever to use coins. These coins were used in the

rule of King Croesus who ruled from 560 to 546 BC. The approximate year of use for the coins was 560BC.

These coins made trading much easier. For example, if there was an artisan who made pottery and he

wished to have a sack of barley, he would need to find a farmer who wanted a piece of pottery. With the

money system the

artisan could sell his pottery to anybody and then use that money for his sack of barely. It made trade

much easier.

This fabulous and innovative new idea was quickly adopted by surrounding nations. This is where the

Greeks, Romans, and Persians got their ideas.

Of course with every great idea there is a problem. In this case the problem was counterfeit money. Some

people did not use gold or silver in their coins. One way that the Lydians tested for fake coins was a

touchstone. A touchstone is a hard, black stone, used in assaying, the testing for the purity of gold and

silver. The first touchstone was a peculiar piece of bituminous quartz obtained from Lydia in Asia Minor to

test for ersatz money. For those reasons, the touchstone became known as the Lydian stone.


5/25

Lydia's Money

Lydian money was very thick, a lot thicker than today's money about the size of the end part of a person's

thumb. The coin a natural combination of silver and gold called electrum, were all the same weight

allowing for a fairer trade between a merchant and a purchaser. Before this time one who was not an

expert with a scale or did not possess one would not be able to participate fairly in the market without

being cheated. It was stamped official by a picture of a lion's head.

Lydia's International Influence

Lydia had an influence on the whole world. Every country or almost every country has a form of money

and it is because of the Lydians that they exist. In fact, if there were no Lydians there wouldn't be any

banks nor any stock market. A lot of things might be different, anything that involved money would be

changed, purchasing a home, working at a job, or even much simpler things such as bills or playing a

board game.

Imagine saying, "12 sheep a share? OK, let me have 1000 shares of Cisco at 12 sheep a share." Or

imagine saying, "Only a a sheep a year interest for a bank account? No thank you!" Or, "Wow! You get5 pots a year if you take this CD." Or imagine playing Monopoly, "240 sacks of Barley for Boardwalk."

It is for these reasons that we must thank the Lydians. The innovators of money and coins for if they had

not thought of this. Who knows how our world might be changed.


6/25

Sardis in antiquity was one of the great cities of Asia Minor. As the capital ofLydia(akingdom located in western Turkey, inland from modern Izmir), Sardis achieved fameand wealth especially under the last Lydian king, Croesus, before succumbing tothePersian conquestin the mid-sixth centuryB.C.Sardis lies at the foothills of MountTmolus in the valley of the Hermus River, a natural corridor that connects the Aegeanand Anatolia. The city's wealth and prosperity can be attributed to its location, idealfor trade and commerce, and to its abundant source of water and mineral resources,most notably the legendary gold-bearing sands of the Pactolus stream.

Related

Timelines (3)

Thematic Essays (18)

Maps (3)

Index Terms (20)

Share

The Greek historian Herodotus tells us that the Lydians were the first people to mintcoins. Although the exact date of this invention is in dispute, coins of electrum, anatural alloy of gold and silver, apparently came into use at the end of the seventhcenturyB.C.According to Herodotus, King Croesus, who ruled Lydia from 560 to546B.C., was the first person to issue pure gold and pure silver coins. Systematic

exploitation of the region's rich mineral resources made Sardis a leading producer ofgold in the eastern Mediterranean from the mid-seventh to mid-sixth centuryB.C.,

briefly lifting the kingdom to the world stage of economic and social history. Eventoday, a memory of that wealth lingers in the expression "rich as Croesus." Evidencefor a gold refinery has been discovered near the Pactolus stream, where also stands astone altar most likely dedicated to Cybele, the patron goddess of Sardis.

In 546B.C., the Lydian empire was conquered by the Persians under Cyrus the Great,who made Sardis the chief western terminus of a major administrative route thatoriginated at Susa in Iran. During Persian occupation, rulers and a class of

entrepreneurs engaged in industry and commercial trade, making Lydia one of therichest kingdoms of the period, with a lifestyle famous for its splendor and luxury.Persian rule ended in 334B.C., when Sardis surrendered toAlexander the Great.However, the archaeological record has revealed the impact of Greek and othercultures from as early as the Archaic period, long before the conquest of Anatolia byAlexander. One of the most important sculptural pieces from Sardis is a stone shrineto Cybele that depicts the mother goddess standing in an Ionic temple. Datable to the


7/25

sixth centuryB.C., it is one of the earliest known representations of the Ionic style ofarchitecture.

The city was for many centuries a significant point of juncture between the Greeks ofthe Aegean and the Persians. Traders and caravans, laden with riches of every

description, must have passed through Sardis, and so it is little wonder that theLydians acquired an international taste. During theHellenistic era, which followedAlexander's death, Sardis was much coveted by theSeleucid dynastsand the kings ofPergamon. In 282B.C., the city became a Seleucid capital, during which time itacquired status as a Greek city-state. The monumental temple to the goddess Artemison the site dates to this period.

In 133B.C., Sardis came underRoman ruleand was distinguished as the principal city ofa judicial district that included twenty-seven or more Lydian and Phrygiansettlements. By the end of the first centuryB.C., it had become an important center ofChristianity and home to a significant Jewish community. The synagogue at Sardis,discovered by chance in 1962 during excavations by Harvard and CornellUniversities, measures over 300 feet in lengththe largest of its kind. Originally, thefloors were paved with ornate mosaics and its walls covered with multicolored marblerevetment, into which were set marble panels of floral and animal designs. After thesixth centuryA.D., Sardis declined in importance and size, although its prestigelingered for another 500 years. As late as the thirteenth century it was the site of asummit meeting between theByzantine emperorand Turkish sultan.

Source:Sardis | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The

Metropolitan Museum of Art


8/25

Pictures

1. Architectural tile fragment, 6th centuryB.C.

Greek, Lydian; Excavated at Sardis

Terracotta with red and black painted decorationH. 8 1/2 in. (20.51 cm)

Gift of The American Society for the Excavation of Sardis, 1926 (26.164.1)

This brightly painted, mold-made tile is one of many that have been excavated atSardis, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, in southern Turkey. In places likeLydia and southern Italy, where native stone was scarce or of poor quality, terracottaserved as a substitute for stone in architecture. Tiles such as this one would have

originally decorated the rooflines and outer walls of houses and civic buildings. Beingboth decorative and functional, some are equipped with a protruding spout that helpeddrain water from the eaves.

The Lydian kingdom was known for its wealth and receptiveness to Greek culture.The motifs on this tile are part of the repertoire in eastern Greek art that eventually

became popular throughout the Greek world. Lotus blossoms, like the ones depictedon this tile, also decorate Greek jewelry and vases from this period. Above the lotus

blossoms are egg-shaped forms, an early version of the egg-and-dart pattern, one ofthe most characteristic and long-lived moldings in Classical architecture.

1.

Source:Architectural tile fragment [Greek, Lydian; Excavated at Sardis]

(26.164.1) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of

Art

2. Skyphos (drinking cup), 6th centuryB.C.

Greek, Lydian

TerracottaH. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm)

Gift of Subscribers to the Fund for Excavations at Sardis, 1916 (16.75.14)

This skyphos (drinking cup) from Sardis is decorated with geometric patterns,evidence that the Greek Geometric tradition persisted in Lydia at least as late as thesixth century B.C. Parallels with Greek art owe much to the location of Sardis on oneof the great highways of antiquity, which ran from the Aegean coast across western


9/25

Asia Minor and into Persia. Travelers and caravans, laden with riches of everydescription, must have passed through Sardis.

1.

Source:Skyphos (drinking cup) [Greek, Lydian] (16.75.14) | HeilbrunnTimeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art

3. Lydion (perfume jar), 6th centuryB.C.

Greek, Lydian

TerracottaH. 4 1/8 in. (10.43 cm)


This curiously shaped jar was probably used to containbaccaris, a perfume for which

Sardis was noted in antiquity, and it is possible that the shape was a convenienttrademark for the perfume. Great numbers of these jars have been found at Sardis, andseem to have been a specialty of Lydia. They are found at numerous sites in theMediterranean, suggesting that their contents were widely exported.

4. Stater, ca. 560546B.C.

Greek, Lydian; Excavated at Sardis

Gold


This gold stater, a standard form of currency in antiquity, is one of thirty that werefound in a small terracotta jug at Sardis. Staters were made of gold, electrum, andsilver, with standard weights varying according to their place of issue. The Greekhistorian Herodotus wrote that the Lydians invented coinage, and that Croesus (r.560546 B.C.) was the first king to issue gold and silver coins. As the Lydian empiredeveloped in economic and political power, the use of electrum for coinage, due to itsuncertainty of exact value, became a handicap to trade. Croesus, therefore, reformedthe currency by basing it on gold. He abandoned electrum as the regular coinage infavor of a bimetallic currency of pure gold and pure silver. Both gold and silver coins

were stamped with the same designthe confronting foreparts of a lion and bull. Theweights of the coins were arranged so that one gold coin was worth twenty in silver.

The majority of Lydian coins bearing the foreparts of a lion and bull were minted afterthe reign of Croesus; however, this gold stater is one of the original coins of Croesushimself. The jug with thirty staters was probably buried for safekeeping shortly beforethe Persian conquest of Sardis in 547 B.C.


10/25

5. Ionic capital, torus (foliated base), and parts of a fluted column shaft from the Temple of

Artemis at Sardis, 4th centuryB.C.

Greek, LydianMarble

H. 142 1/8 in. (361 cm)


Parts of this column were found during excavations conducted from 1911 through1914 at Sardis, the ancient capital of Lydia, in southern Turkey. The fluted column,with most of the shaft omitted, was reconstituted from one or more similar columnsand would have stood over fifty-six feet high in its original location. Of particularlyfine workmanship is the carving of the foliate ornaments on the Ionic capital, as well

as the scale pattern on the torus (foliated base).This column was once part of the Temple of Artemis at Sardis, one of the cities ofwestern Asia Minor in which Greek influence was continually interwoven with localtradition. After the conquest of Alexander the Great, Sardis became part of theSeleucid empire, which spanned Asia Minor, the Levant, Persia, and as far east asIndia. Consistent with the predilection for enormous scale already manifest in Archaictemples in western Asia Minor, for instance at Ephesus and Didyma, the one at Sardisranks among the seven largest of all Greek temples.


11/25

History

As the Urartian kingdom in the east and the Phrygian kingdom in central Anatolia, were coming to their

end, a new kingdom based in the city Sardis emerged in the western Anatolia. This was the Lydian

Kingdom that ruled Western Anatolia in the 7th C. BCE, roughly from 690 to 546 BCE. As we can see

from the above map, Lydians ruled a large territory in Anatolia, extending from the Black Sea and the

Marmara Sea to the Lycian coast on the Mediterranean, and from the Aegean shores to the bend of the

river Halys.

The origin of Lydians is a problem that is still awaiting to be settled. Scholars think, they might have

entered Anatolia from East or North. We know that Lydians used a language of Indo-European origin.

Much of the information about Lydians comes from the ancient Greek sources. Lydia was ruled by three

dynasties from beginning to the end. These dynasties were Atyads, Heraclids-Tylonids in Lydian

language- and the Mermnads who ruled from 2000 BCE to 546 BCE. A Hittite cuneiform from the time

of Tudhaliya IV (1250-1220 BCE) confirms what Herodotus says about Atyad dynasty. So, this is enough

evidence to believe that Lydians were among the Anatolian peoples as early as 13th C. BCE, even

earlier. Herodotus, in his account, explains that the Atyad dynasty was replaced by Heraclids, during

the destruction of Anatolian cities in the wave of migration among which Phrygians were available as

well. According to Herodotus, Lydian state was founded by Heraclid dynasty and he adds this dynasty of

Thracian origin ruled for 22 generations over a period of 505 years from 1185 BCE. We know a little

about the first kings of Heraclid dynasty, but at the time of the first Olympic games in 776 BCE,

Alyattes was the king of Lydia. The last king of Heraclid dynasty as known in Greek was Mursylos, and in

Lydian language was Candaules whose name comes from a Lydian god and means "dog-strangler".

Indeed, excavations have provided the remains of a feast in honor of the god "Candaules", and theskeletons of many puppies sacrificed to this god were found in 30 clay urns.

In about 687 BCE, we see another change in dynasty from Heraclids to Mermnads. Gyges (ruled 687 to

652 BCE), the first king of this dynasty, with the help of a woman-probably the wife of Candaules-,

killed Kandaules and took over both throne and queen. Also, with the change in dynasty, the name of

the area was changed to Lydia, which was known earlier as Maionia and the name of their capital was

changed to Sardis which was known as Hyde earlier. Lydian state under the Mernmad dynasty followed

expansionist policies and took its place in the balance of power in the Near East and Mediterranean

area. Gyges, to put an end to internal conflicts and to expand his borders launched military campaigns

towards North first, and against the Ionian cities along the Aegean coast. He founded military bases

and posts in Ionia area which served the Lydian benefits. By this time, as we have read in otherchapters, Cimmerians were terrorizing this area, first they destructed Phrygian state and made their

way towards the Lydians. The first Cimmerian attack was turned and their leader fell captive to

Lydians. But, second attempt by the Cimmerians who fought with heavy iron weapons, succeeded and

Lydians lost the battle. Gyges died at the battlefield. Almost all of Lydian cities and towns, except

Sardis which the Cimmerians were not able to take, were sacked by barbarian Cimmerians.


12/25

Ardys (ruled 652-621 BCE), who took over the throne, after his father Gyges' death, continued to

struggle Cimmerians. Sometime, he was obliged to ask help and support from the Assyrian king,

Asurbanipal. In 640 BCE, Cimmerians were defeated by the Assyrians in a decisive battle and

Cimmerians have never been able to recover since and after wandering in Anatolia for some time they

moved to Cappadocia and settled there. Ardys, following the years of terror in his country, started a

big reconstruction project all over Lydia. Many cities and towns that were sacked and destroyed by theCimmerians were rebuilt. After that, Ardys, marched towards the Ionian cities on the Aegean coastline

and took Priene. Ardys was an able king and did a great job in re-establishing his country and also

followed his father's expansionist policies.

Following his death in 621 BCE, his son Sadyattes became the ruler of Lydia. However, the reign of

Sadyattes brought almost nothing worthy to his people. His death in 609 BCE, has brought a great

opportunity for the Lydian people, his son Alyattes, one of the greatest kings became the ruler of

Lydia.

Alyattes (ruled 610 to 560 BCE), the fourth of the Mernmad kings, brought Lydia great prosperity and

extended his borders over a large territory. His diplomatic skills, arranging marriage alliances with

neighboring states, reasserting Lydia's sway over Ionian and Carian cities made Lydia one of the most

powerful states in the Near East. Meanwhile, the Medes in Persia following aggressive expansionist

policies covered as far as the river Halys, and made this river a border between Medes and Lydians.

Alyattes tried to reinforce his western borders knowing that Medes, one day, would be trouble for the

Lydians. He developed his relations with the Greek world, invited Greek sculptors to his capital Sardis,

built two shrines in Miletus ad sent gifts to the Oracle at Delphi. As a consequence of these close

relations with the Greek world, Alyattes' reign saw an abrupt Hellenic influence in Lydian art and

culture. The expected trouble came in in the year 585 BCE and Lydians and Medes set out to fight on

the eastern bank of the river Halys. About noon time, a solar eclipse occurred and suddenly became

dark. Taking this as a sign from the god, both armies put down their weapons on the ground and made

a peace treaty. The conclusion of the war with neighbors and peace treaties with other kingdoms in the

area brought a short lived balance of powers to be destroyed later in 547 BCE by the Persian Empire

rising from the East. Alyattes, after a long successful reign, died and he was replaced by his son

Croesus, another able king of Lydia.

Croesus (ruled 560 to 546 BCE.), inherited a prosperous state and he also made his contribution to

make Lydia even more powerful and wealthier. During his reign, Lydia reached the zenith in political

and cultural development and wealth. And also during his reign, Lydian state came to its unexpected

end. Croesus is the best known king of the Mernmad dynasty by the Greek and Roman writers. His name

became synonymous with the wealth, you know the expression "as rich as Croesus". Croesus when he

became king of Lydia, he set out to reinforce the western borders. First, he started a militarycampaign against Ephesus, and then other Aeolian and Ionian cities. He always found an excuse to

attack his neighbors and put them under his hegemony. Almost all of western Anatolia, except the

Lycians in southwest, came under the Lydian state. Croesus imposed heavy taxation on the Ionian and

other cities in the area which was the main source of income for the Lydians. On the other hand,

Croesus was also a great patron of arts; he financed the rebuilding of Ephesus, reconstruction of the

Artemis Temple which was destroyed by Cimmerians earlier. Artemis Temple contained an inscription

that recognizes Croesus as the main contributor to the rebuilding of this temple.


13/25

Meanwhile, on the Persian frontier, some noticeable changes were taking place. Cyrus, from Persian

stock, after a battle against Astyages of Medes dynasty-Cyrus' grandfather from mother side- took the

throne and the power changed from Medes to Persians. Croesus, to expand his borders and include

Cappadocia in his state launched a campaign against Persians. Croesus crossed the river Halys and

arrived at the ancient Pteria-probably the Greek name for Hattusas. The war between two armies was

near this town. Herodotus says the war between the Lydians and Persians was very severe, andcountless soldiers died on the first day. Then night came in, and they stopped fighting. Next day,

Croesus did not attack Cyrus, he thought he would go back home and get some support from his allies

and strike back next spring. As he was getting close to his capital, Cyrus with his army appeared nearby

Sardis. Cyrus was smart by placing the camels in front of his army. The idea here was that horses were

afraid of camels and could not stand their smell either. Indeed, the horses of the Lydian army started

wildly running away as soon as they saw the camels. Though Lydian army lost the battle in Gediz plain,

they kept the order and retreated to their fortified acropolis at Sardis. On the 14th day of the siege by

Persians, a hole in the city walls was noticed by a Persian soldier through which the Persians swept into

the acropolis and put a heavy massacre on the Lydian soldiers. Herodotus explains that Cyrus first

decided to burn Croesus on a pile of wood, but later changed his mind and made Croesus his

consultant. However, some inscriptions from Babylon states that Cyrus went to Lydian war in April 547

BCE, and in May crossed the river Tigris and killed the king after defeating Lydians. A story goes like

that, when Cyrus conquered Sardis, his soldiers started looting the wealth of this city. Cyrus told

Croesus, pointing out to screams by the soldiers, "they sack you city", Croesus told him back, "not my

city any longer, they sack your city". Then Cyrus ordered his assistant to stop looting in the city. That

was the end of another great civilization of the past


14/25

he Lydians were one of the many nations of ancient Anatolia. After the collapse of the Hittite Empire, theLydian people emerged as a local power in western Anatolia. They remained an independent state untilabsorption into the Persian Empire, and later into Alexander the Great's Empire. Firmly in the Hellenisticworld, the Lydians slowly lost their culture and their language, and the last Lydian inscription wasrecorded in the 1st century BCE.

The language of the Lydians belonged to a branch of the Anatolian language family that also includedolder tongues such as Hittite and Luwian as well as contemporaneous languages suchas Carian, Lycian and Phrygian. Unlike the older languages, which employed logophonetic scripts, Lydianadopted the early Greek alphabet for its writing system and modified it to suit its phonology.

The following is the Lydian alphabet:

In the table above, each row contains three subrows. The first subrow is the Lydian letter. The secondsubrow (in blue) is the traditional transliteration of Lydian. The third subrow (in red) is the phonetictranscription of Lydian. Note: [] and [] are nasalized vowels, meaning that the vowels are pronouncedwith a resonance in the sinus cavity. Of interest also are the consonants [t

y], [d

y], and [l

y], which are

palatalized versions of the consonants [t], [d], and [l]. They are like the original consonants simultaneouslypronounced with the [y] sound.

Picture of coins

Lydian electrum trite (4.71g, 13x10x4 mm). This cointype, madeofa goldandsilveralloy, wasin all likelihoodthe world'sfirst, mintedbyKingAlyattesin Sardis, Lydia, AsiaMinor(present-dayTurkey), c. 610-600BC. Itcan be attributed, amongotherways, asWeidauer59-75 (Type 15).

ions have been considered kings of the jungle, and symbols of kingly authority, from timeimmemorial. One of the most fascinating coins of all time, a coin that I believe is the first

true coin, features one the most fascinating lions ever to appear on a coin.The coin illustrated above is a Lydian third stater, or trite,[1]minted sometime around 600BC in Lydia, Asia Minor (current-day Turkey), a country in close geographic and culturalproximity to the Greek colonies in Asia Minor.These coins are pricey (typically costing in the $1,000 to $2,000 range), and thoughscarce are not especially rare,[2]just in significant demand because of their history, theevocativeness of their design, their metallurgic characteristics, and their mystery. Other


15/25

coins may vie for the title of the world's first coin, also from Lydia, nearby in Ionia, in theMiddle East, and across the world in India and China, though none do so aspersuasively.[3]The Lydian Lion is the one coin I'd personally call "The Coin." It directly precededancient Greek coinage, which through Rome begot all Western coinage, and which

through the Seleukids, Parthians, and Sassanians begot all Islamic coinage. Indiancoinage has largely been a product of Greek, Roman, and Islamic influences.[4]Chinesecoinage, though it probably developed independently, was succeeded by Western-stylecoinage in the late nineteenth century.[5]Other countries in Asia, in Africa, and elsewherehave adopted the Western approach to coinage as well. It's not chauvinistic, and it's onlymildly hyperbolic, to suggest that virtually all coinage in use today is the progeny of theLydian Lion, that it's the Adam of coins.[6]

With certain matters relating to the first coinage, suggestions and speculation, deductionand theorizing are necessities because of the paucity of written, archeological, hoard, find

spot, and die-study evidence. What we don't know about this coin and other early coins isat least as great as what we do know, and with what we think we know, there's can bemuch disagreement and debate. Still, the totality of the evidence that exists points tocertain conclusions that can be beneficial in understanding the origin of coinage as wellas, for coin collectors, in appreciating our collections.Among what we know with confidence is that the Lydian Lion trite was the mostcommon Lydian denomination of its time[7]and that it's made of electrum, an alloy ofgold and silver called "white gold" in ancient times.[8]The Lydian Lion trite may have been worth about a month's subsistence, according to IanCarradice and Martin Jessop Price.[9]R.M. Cook placed a higher value on it, suggesting itmay have had the buying power of about eleven sheep.[10]Similarly, Richard Seaford feltit could buy about ten goats.[11]But as an indication of how unsettled certain mattersinvolving these coins are, Michael Mitchiner placed a much lower value on it, believing itto be worth approximately one sheep or three jars of wine.[12]Aesthetically, the Lydian Lion is pleasing.[13]It has a captivating archaic style, with thedesign consisting primarily of simple geometric shapes. The composition is bothbalanced and dynamic. The hatch marks of the lion's mane divide the coin roughly inhalf, diagonally. Most of the visual "action" -- the roaring mouth with teeth bared, thefierce triangle-shaped eye, and the mysterious starburst (often described as a nose wart) --takes place to the right.

The lion head is sometimes referred to as a lion protome, with "protome" anarcheological term meaning decorative motif in the form of an animal or human head.The lion's mane and sunburst vary in style between earlier and later versions of the coin.As with most Lydian Lion specimens, the lion on the coin pictured above faces right;with rare varieties, it faces left. Other rare varieties feature an inscription or part of oneon the obverse, in some cases with part of another lion head confronting the first lionhead.


16/25

Like most of the earliest coins, instead of a design, the Lydian Lion features on thereverse an incuse punch created during the minting process, from the hammer used toforce the blank planchet into the anvil die. With the trite, the punch consists of twosquares that are joined or separate. The punch on smaller denominations consists of asingle square.

The specimen pictured above weighs 4.71 grams, has a diameter of 13mm at its widest,and at 4mm, is thick as a nugget. It likely consists of about 55 percent gold, 43 percentsilver, 2 percent copper, and trace amounts of lead and iron, with the the later varietyconsiting of slightly lower gold and higher silver, based upon analyses of these coins by anumber of different researchers. The above variety can be attributed, among other ways,as Weidauer Type 15 and Mitchiner Group C.

What we also don't know with certainty about these coins is why they were minted andwhat exactly the obverse design means, though there's been no shortage of proposed

answers. The dating of these coins has also been widely debated. Because of thesignificance of Lydian Lions, many numismatists have researched and studied these andrelated questions, but there's still much room for further research and clarity.

Language

Lydian was an Indo-European language spoken in the region ofLydia in western Anatolia (present-

day Turkey). It belongs to the Anatolian group of the Indo-European language family.

Within the Anatolian group, however, Lydian occupies a unique and problematic position due, first, to

the still very limited evidence and understanding of the language and, second, to a number of features

not shared with any other Anatolian language.[1] It is not presently known whether these represent

peculiarly pre-Lydian developments in or the retention of archaic features lost in other Anatolian

languages.[2] Until more satisfactory knowledge becomes available, the status of Lydian within

Anatolian remains a "special" one.

The Lydian language is attested in graffiti and in coin legends from the end of the 8th or the beginning

of the 7th century BC down to the third, but well-preserved inscriptions of significant length are

presently limited to the 5thand 4th centuries BC, during the period ofPersian domination. Lydian texts

are thus effectively contemporaneous with those in Lycian.

Extant Lydian texts now number slightly over one hundred, all but a few having been found in or near

the Lydian capital but fewer than thirty of the inscriptions consist of more than a few words and are

reasonably complete. A majority of the inscriptions are on stone, and are sepulchral in content, but

several are decrees of one sort or another and some half-dozen texts seem to be in verse, with a


17/25

stress-based meter and vowel assonance at line end. Tomb inscriptions include many epitaphs, which

typically begin with the words e wna ("this grave"), as well as short graffiti.

Strabo mentions that around his time (1st century BC), the Lydian language had become extinct in

Lydia proper, but was still being spoken among the multicultural population of Kibyra (present-

day Glhisar) in south-west Anatolia by the descendants of the Lydian colonists who had founded the

city.[3]

Contents[hide]

1 Writing system

2 Phonology

o 2.1 Morphology

o 2.2 Syntax

o 2.3 Sample text and vocabulary

2.3.1 Examples of words

o 2.4 See also

o 2.5 Footnotes

o 2.6 Sources

o 2.7 External links

Writing system

Main article: Lydian script

The Lydian writing system, which is strictly alphabetic, is related to or derived from that ofGreek and

to its western Anatolian neighbors, the exact relationship still remaining unclear. The direction of

writing in the older texts is either from left to right or right to left. Later texts show exclusively the

latter. Use of word-dividers is variable.

Phonology

Lydian has seven vowels: a, e, i, o, u with in addition two nasal vowels: , , the sound of a vowel

before a nasal consonant. In the case of it is an. The difference between and is debatable. Yis

used rarely to indicate a modified ior e, the modification being debatable.

Lydian is notable for its extensive consonant clusters, which resulted from the loss of word-final short

vowels together with massive syncope.

Morphology


18/25

Nouns and adjectives distinguish singular and plural forms and occur in two genders, animate and

inanimate. Only three cases are securely attested: nominative, accusative, and dative-locative. There

may have been other cases that remain unknown due to the paucity of material.

Syntax

The basic word order is Subject-Object-Verb, but constituents may be extraposed to the right of the

verb. Lydian had at least one postposition. Modifiers of the noun normally precede the noun.

Sample text and vocabulary

A notable inscription in Lydian-Aramaic, which was among the first thirty-four found in the beginning

of the 20th century by American excavators, providing a limited equivalent of the Rosetta Stone and

permitting a first penetration and solidifying understanding of the Lydian language.

The first line of the text was destroyed. The eight lines of the Lydian text are :

[o]raislbakillestmrudek [wna]

laqrisakqelakkudkitisteswn[a]

btarwodakadmanelidkumlilidsilukalidakit n[qis]

esmrubukeswnabukesa

laqirisabukitkudisteswnabtarwo[d]

aktinnqisqelkfnsifidfakmartimu

ibimsisartimukkulumsisaarabirak

kidakofukqiraqelkbilwcbaqnt

Examples of words

- Ora - month

- Laqrisa - wall

A Lydian word which entered modern international terminology could be labrys, the double-axe, a

non-Greek word unattested as yet in any Lydian inscription but on the subject of

which Plutarch states; "the Lydians call the axelabrys" [4]. Another loan word from Lydian now used

internationally could be "tyrant" [1], first used in ancient Greek sources, without particular negative

connotations, for Gyges of Lydia. The name possibly came from his native town ofTyrhha.[5]


19/25

Lydian script was used to write the Lydian language. That the language preceded the script is

indicated by names in Lydian, which must have existed before they were written. Like other scripts

ofAnatolia in theIron Age, the Lydian alphabet is a modification of the East Greek alphabet, but it has

unique features. The same Greek letters may not represent the same sounds in both languages or in

any other Anatolian language (in some cases it may). Moreover, the Lydian script is alphabetic.

Early Lydian texts are written both from left to right and from right to left. Later texts are exclusively

written from right to left. One text isboustrophedon. Spaces separate words except that one text uses

dots. Lydian uniquely features a quotation mark in the shape of a right triangle.

Contents[hide]

1 The alphabet

o 1.1 Examples of words

2 Lydian in Unicode

3 Notes

4 See also

5 External links

6 References

The alphabet

The Lydian alphabet[1][2]

is closely related to the other alphabets of Asia Minor as well as to the Greek

alphabet. It contains letters for 26 sounds. Some are represented by more than one symbol, which is

considered one "letter." Unlike the Carian alphabet, which had an fderived from , the Lydian fhas

the peculiar 8 shape also found in theEtruscan alphabet.

The Lydian Alphabet

Lydian

LetterTransliteration Sound Table Notes

a vowel a and

nasal vowel Appears as or a before a nasal consonant: aliksntru-/aliksantru.[3]


20/25

b stop consonant Probably /p/ (voiceless)

d fricative //

c affricate /dz/

e vowel e and

nasal vowel

f fricative

g stop consonant

i vowel [i]

y vowel Used only 11 times as a substitute for i: artymu-/artimu-, under exact

circumstances that are debatable.[4]

k stop consonant

llateral

consonant

palatalized Not the Greek lateral consonant

m

n


21/25

palatalized Not the Greek n

o vowel

q labio-velar /kw/

q rliquid

consonant

s //

sibilant

consonant/s/

T t stop consonant

affricate /ts/

y u vowel [u]

v

In addition are the two digrams, aa and ii, considered allophones of a and i under speculative

circumstances.[5]

Examples of words

- Ora - "Month"

- Laqrisa - "Wall"

- Bira - "House, Home"

Lydian in Unicode


22/25

The first codification was made by Roberto Gusmani in 1964 in a combined lexicon (vocabulary),

grammar, and text collection. The Lydian script is included in version 5.1 of the Unicode standard. It is

encoded in Plane 1 (Supplementary Multilingual Plane), range U+10920 - U+1093F. Grey areas

indicate non-assigned code points.

The Lydian mode in music theory

[edit]Ancient Greek Lydian

The name Lydian refers to the ancient kingdom ofLydia inAnatolia. In Greek music theory, there was a

scale or "octave species" based on the Lydian tetrachord,[citationneeded]

extending from parhypate

hypaton to tritediezeugmenon, equivalent in the diatonic genus to the modern major scale: C D E F | G A

B C. (In the chromatic and enharmonic genera, the Lydian scale was equivalent to C D E F | G A B C

and C E E F | G B B C, respectively, where "" signifies raising the pitch by approximately a quarter

tone) (Barbera 1984, 240). Placing the two tetrachords together, and the single tone at bottom of the

scale produces the Hypolydian mode (below Lydian): F | G A B C | (C) D E F. Placing the two tetrachords

together, and the single tone at the top of the scale produces the Hyperlydian mode (above Lydian),

which is effectively the same as the Hypophrygian mode: G A B C | (C) D E F | G.

Musical instrument

Magadis


23/25

LydiaOther names: Monia (Greek)

This article

1. Economy

2. Society and Culture

3. Religion

4. Language

5. History


24/25

Ancient kingdom in western Anatolia (now Turkey),

lasting from the beginning of the 8th century-546 BCE,

altogether 240-250 years.

At its largest, Lydia covered the western half of

Anatolia, west of the Halys river (now Kizilirmak river)

except the lands ofLycia.The central region of Lydia were the lands from the

Aegean Sea to the valleys of Hermus and Cayster rivers,

now called Gediz and Bkmederes. The region had a

fertile soil as well as rich deposits of gold and silver.

EconomyThe Lydians are told to have been the first people tocoin money, made from silver and gold. With the use ofmoney did the Lydians spark a commercial revolution,and by this they had much influence on the Greek

civilization from the 6th century and onwards.The main economic activities of Lydia wereagriculture and mining of silver and gold, as well as themanufacture and dyeing of delicate woollen stuffs andcarpets. But with the kingdom's aggressiveness towardsits neighbours, looting of foreign peoples brought in

substantial wealth to the royal court.The capital of Lydia was Sardis, which by its time's

standards was unusually rich and beautiful.

Society and CultureThere are many legends of Lydia, but a couple of them

relates to liberal sexual attitudes. One tells thatprostitution was accepted as a way for a young girl toearn her dowry. Another tells about king Candaules whowas so proud of his wife's body that he allowed onebodyguard, Gyges to see her naked. As she raged overthis offence, she forced Gyges to kill her husband andmarry her. So he did, the legend tells, and he becameking.

ReligionLydian religion largely shares the characterstics of

Anatolian relgions at large, with a great focus on the

divine mother.Nature was in focus with the worship, the supreme god was Medeus. More important to

rituals was the sun-god Attis, who was both son and husband ofCybele, the divine mother.Still, the main focus of Lydian religion was that of Cybele. In her honour extensive rituals

were acted out by dedicated priestesses who were armed with double axes. It is quitepossible that is from this cult that the legends of the Amazons were derived.

The rituals of the priestesses involved dancing, whereas ordinary girls (unmarried) acted out

KingsAll dates BCE

Ardysus 1 797- 761

Alyattes 1 761- 747

Meles 747- 735

Candaules 735- 718

Gyges 718- 680

Ardysus 2 680- 631

Sadyattes 631- 619

Alyattes 2 619- 560

Croesus 560- 546


25/25

a type of rituals that was a form of prostitution. By these rituals, the girls also earned theirdowry.

HistoryPrior to the emergence of Lydia, the same region was known as Arzawa.

Early 7th century:Phrygia is destroyed by the Cimmerians, leaving Lydia the strongestnation to control western Anatolia.685: The rise of the Mermnadae dynasty marks the beginning of the great period of Lydia.620's: Final battle between Lydia and the Cimmerians, results in victory for Lydia.619: Alyattes becomes king of Lydia.590: Lydia resists invasions from Media and by the Cimmerians. They conquer large lands,especially in Ionia, and the state develops into an empire.585: Peace is arranged with Media, and the Halys River is set as the border between thetwo kingdoms.546: Sardis is captured by the Persians under the leadership ofCyrus 2 the Great. Lydia isincorporated into the Persian Empire.334: The lands of Lydia is conquered by Alexander the Great, and comes under Greco-Macedonian control.133: Lydia becomes part of the Roman province of Asia.

defining lydia

Documents