Editing Lydia (section)

=====Gyges=====
{{main|Gyges of Lydia}}

Gyges was the first Lydian king whose existence is demonstrable from contemporary records.<ref name = "LydiaBefore"/> According to semi-mythical accounts of his reign, he was the son of a man named [[Dascylus]] and came to power by overthrowing [[Candaules|King Candaules]] with the assistance of a Carian prince from [[Milas|Mylasa]] named Arselis.{{sfn|Braun|1982|p=36}}{{sfn|Mellink|1991|pp=643-655,663}} Gyges's rise to power happened in the context of a period of turmoil following the invasion of the [[Cimmerians]], a nomadic people from the [[Pontic-Caspian steppe|Pontic steppe]] who had invaded [[Western Asia]], who around 675 BC destroyed the previous major power in Anatolia, the kingdom of Phrygia.{{sfn|Cook|1988|p=196-197}}

Gyges took advantage of the power vacuum created by the Cimmerian invasions to consolidate his kingdom and make it a military power, he contacted the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire|Neo-Assyrian]] court by sending diplomats to [[Nineveh]] to seek help against the Cimmerian invasions,<ref name="Spalinger1978">{{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 }}</ref> and he attacked the [[Ionians|Ionian]] Greek cities of [[Miletus]], [[Smyrna]], and [[Colophon (city)|Colophon]].{{sfn|Cook|1988|p=196-197}} Gyges's extensive alliances with the Carian dynasts allowed him to recruit Carian and Ionian Greek soldiers to send overseas to assist the [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] king [[Psamtik I]] of the city of [[Sais]], with whom he had established contacts around 662 BC. With the help of these armed forces, Psamtik I united Egypt under his rule after eliminating the eleven other kinglets with whom he had been co-ruling [[Lower Egypt]].{{sfn|Braun|1982|p=36}}<ref name="Spalinger1976">{{cite journal |last=Spalinger |first=Anthony |date=1976 |title=Psammetichus, King of Egypt: I |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40001126 |journal=Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt  |volume=13|pages=133–147 |doi=10.2307/40001126|jstor=40001126 |access-date=2 November 2021 }}</ref><ref name="Spalinger1978"/>{{sfn|Mellink|1991|p=663}}

In 644 BC, Lydia faced a third attack by the Cimmerians, led by their king [[Tugdamme|Lygdamis]]. This time, the Lydians were defeated, Sardis was sacked, and Gyges was killed.<ref name="Spalinger1976"/><ref name="Spalinger1978"/>