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GYGES

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Originally appearing in Volume V12, Page 751 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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GYGES , founder of the third or Mermnad See also:

dynasty of Lydian See also:kings, he reigned 687–652 B.C. according to H. Gelzer, 6go–657 B.C. according to H. Winckler. The See also:chronology of the Lydian kings given by See also:Herodotus has been shown by the See also:Assyrian See also:inscriptions to be about twenty years in excess. Gyges was the son of Dascylus, who, when recalled from banishment in See also:Cappadocia by the Lydian See also:king Sadyattes—called Candaules " the See also:Dog-strangler " (a See also:title of the Lydian See also:Hermes) by the Greeks—sent his son back to See also:Lydia instead of himself. Gyges soon became a favourite of Sadyattes and was despatched by him to fetch Tudo, the daughter of Arnossus of See also:Mysia, whom the Lydian king wished to make his See also:queen. On the way Gyges See also:fell in love with Tudo, who complained to Sadyattes of his conduct. Forewarned that the king intended to punish him with See also:death, Gyges assassinated Sadyattes in the See also:night and seized the See also:throne with the help of Arselis of Mylasa, the See also:captain of the Carian bodyguard, whom he had won over to his cause. See also:Civil See also:war ensued, which was finally ended by an See also:appeal to the See also:oracle of See also:Delphi and the See also:confirmation of the right of Gyges to the See also:crown by the Delphian See also:god. Further to secure his title he married Tudo. Many legends were told among the Greeks about his rise to See also:power. That found in Herodotus, which may be traced to the poet See also:Archilochus of See also:Paros, described how " Candaules " insisted upon showing Gyges his wife when unrobed, which so enraged her that she gave Gyges the choice of murdering her See also:husband and making himself king, or of being put to death himself.

See also:

Plato made Gyges a shepherd, who discovered a magic See also:ring by means of which he murdered his See also:master and won the See also:affection of his wife (Hdt. i. 8-14; Plato, See also:Rep. 359; See also:Justin i. 7; See also:Cicero, De off. iii. g). Once established on the throne Gyges devoted himself to consolidating his See also:kingdom and making it a military power. The See also:Troad was conquered, See also:Colophon captured from the Greeks, See also:Smyrna besieged and alliances entered into with See also:Ephesus and See also:Miletus. The See also:Cimmerii, who had ravaged See also:Asia See also:Minor, were beaten back, and an See also:embassy was sent to See also:Assur-bani-See also:pal at See also:Nineveh (about 65o B.c.) in the See also:hope of obtaining his help against the barbarians. The Assyrians, however, were otherwise engaged, and Gyges turned to See also:Egypt, sending his faithful Carian troops along with Ionian mercenaries to assist See also:Psammetichus in shaking off the Assyrian yoke (66o B.C.). A few years later he fell in See also:battle against the Cimmerii under Dugdamme (called Lygdamis by See also:Strabo i. 3. 21), who took the See also:lower See also:town of See also:Sardis. Gyges was succeeded by his son Ardys.

See Nicolaus Damascenus, quoting from the Lydian historian See also:

Xanthus, in C. See also:Muller, Fragmenta historicorum Graecorum, iii.; R. See also:Schubert, Geschichte der Konige von Lydien (1884) ; M. G. Radet, La Lydie et le monde grec au temps de Mermnades (1892–1893) ; H. Gelzer, " Das Zeitalter See also:des Gyges " (Rhein. See also:Mus., '875); H. Winckler, Altorientalische Forschungen, i. (1893) ; Macan's edition of Herodotus. (A. H.

End of Article: GYGES

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