SARDIS (city in Lydia)
Ancient city in Anatolia, today an archaeological site at Sart, Turkey
- Kind of place
- City
- Region
- Lydia
- Landmarks
- Acropolis wall Herodotus 1.84.3
- Where
- 38.49° N, 28.04° E
The city is associated with the production of white gold. Sophocles, Antigone 1033-1063 Croesus was besieged within the city by an attacking force. Herodotus 1.81.1 Croesus feared that Cyrus would destroy the city. Herodotus 1.155.2
Described in the sources
Artaphrenes served as the viceroy governing Sardis. Herodotus 5.123.1 +4 Xerxes was located at Sardis with his army. Herodotus 7.145.2 +4 Sardis is located on one side of the sacred mountain Tmolus, with its unassailable side facing towards it. Aeschylus, Persians 41-64 +3 Sardis was the capital of the Lydian empire ruled by Croesus, who controlled the city after subduing neighboring peoples. Bacchylides 3 +2 Alyattes resided in this city when he fell ill, when he received the Corcyrean boys, and when the Scythians intended to flee there after their planned deception of Cyaxares. Herodotus 1.19.2 +2 Sardis is located five hundred and forty furlongs inland from Ephesus. Herodotus 5.54.1 +1 Cyrus planned to march against Sardis before Lydian forces could regroup. Herodotus 1.79.1 +1 Athenian envoys were sent to Sardis to seek an alliance with the Persians. Herodotus 5.73.1 +1 Ardys, the son of Gyges, resided in and ruled over Sardis during his reign. Herodotus 1.15.1 +1 Ionian forces marched to this location before being driven back to their ships. Herodotus 5.116.1 +1
Stories and history
The entire city was sacked after it was taken. Bacchylides 3 +2 The city endured a fourteen-day siege before being captured along with its ruler Croesus. Herodotus 1.70.3 +2 The Athenians and Ionians captured the city without facing any resistance from its defenders. Herodotus 5.100.1 +2 Aristagoras planned a military march against the city, led the conspiracy that resulted in its destruction, and burned the groves and temples located there. Herodotus 5.105.1 +2 The city was rich in gold and contained vast treasures shown to Solon. Aeschylus, Persians 41-64 +1 The Cimmerians captured the city, leaving only the acropolis unconquered. Herodotus 1.15.1 +1 Persian forces captured the city by climbing up to take it and took its ruler prisoner. Herodotus 1.84.5 +1 Histiaeus was impaled on the spot within this city after arriving there following his release by Darius. Herodotus 6.1.1 +1 The city was destined to suffer a calamity during the reign of Croesus's sons, not while Croesus himself was alive. Bacchylides 3 +1 The Telmessians declared that the city could never be taken if a lion was carried around its walls, though they did not know the city's fate when they gave this judgment. Herodotus 1.78.3 +1