Editing Alyattes (section)

==Chronology==
[[File:Electrum trite, Alyattes II, Lydia, 610-560 BC.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Electrum trite, Alyattes, Lydia, 610–560 BC. (inscribed ''KUKALI[M]''<ref>Interpreted as the given name {{Transliteration|xld|Kukaś}}, equivalent to ''Gyges''
Wallace, “KUKALIṂ”, pl. 1, 1–4 = Weidauer Group XVIII, ''Triton'' XV no. 1241 (3 January 2012).
Auctioned in 2013 for CHF 25000. ([https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=243846 Classical Numismatics Group])</ref>)]]
Dates for the Mermnad kings are uncertain and are based on a computation by [[J. B. Bury]] and [[Russell Meiggs]] (1975) who estimated c.687–c.652 BC for the reign of [[Gyges of Lydia|Gyges]].<ref>{{harvnb | Bury | Meiggs | 1975 | pp=82–83}}</ref> Herodotus 1.16, 1.25, 1.86 gave reign lengths for Gyges's successors, but there is uncertainty about these as the total exceeds the timespan between 652 (probable death of Gyges, fighting the [[Cimmerians]]) and 547/546 (fall of [[Sardis]] to [[Cyrus the Great]]). Bury and Meiggs concluded that Ardys and Sadyattes reigned through an unspecified period in the second half of the 7th century BC,<ref>{{harvnb | Bury | Meiggs | 1975 | p=501}}</ref> but they did not propose dates for Alyattes except their assertion that his son [[Croesus]] succeeded him in 560 BC. The timespan 560–546 BC for the reign of Croesus is almost certainly accurate.<ref>{{harvnb | Bury | Meiggs | 1975 | p=502}}</ref>

However, based on an analysis of sources contemporary with Gyges, such as [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Neo-Assyrian]] records, Anthony Spalinger has convincingly deduced dated Gyges's death to 644 BCE,<ref name="Spalinger">{{cite journal |last=Spalinger |first=Anthony J. |date=1978 |title=The Date of the Death of Gyges and Its Historical Implications |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/599752 |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=98 |issue=4 |pages=400–409 |doi=10.2307/599752 |jstor=599752 |access-date=25 October 2021 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and Alexander Dale has consequently dated Alyattes's reign as starting in c. 635 BCE and ending in 585 BCE.<ref name="Dale"/>