List of kings of Lydia facts for kids

Lydia was an ancient kingdom in western Anatolia, which is modern-day Turkey. It existed thousands of years ago, around the first millennium BC. Some people think it might have started even earlier, in the second millennium BC. Long ago, the people of Lydia might have been called Maeonians before they became known as Lydians. Historians talk about three main groups of kings, called dynasties, who ruled Lydia: the Maeoniae, the Heracleidae (Heraclids), and the Mermnadae. The first two groups of kings are mostly from legends and myths. The Mermnadae kings, however, are real historical figures.

Maeoniae: The Legendary Kings

The very first Maeonian or Lydian king mentioned in old stories was Manes. His son was Atys. During Atys's time, there was a terrible famine, meaning not enough food. Because of this, half of the people, led by Atys's son Tyrrhenus, moved to Italy. They became known as the Tyrrhenians.

Other ancient writers mention different kings from around the same time, like Tmolus and his son Tantalus. They supposedly ruled from the area around Mount Sipylus. Some people believe that Manes and Atys were actually the same people as Tmolus and Tantalus.

Here are the legendary kings we know about:

• Manes
• Atys, who was Manes's son
• Lydus, who was Atys's son

It's said that Lydus gave his name to the country and its people. The family line of Lydus continued for many generations. Eventually, they handed over the rule to a new group of kings called the Heraclids. These Heraclids were believed to be descendants of the famous hero Heracles and a slave-girl.

Heraclidae: The Hero's Descendants

The Heraclids ruled Lydia for a very long time, about 505 years! There were 22 kings in this family, with sons taking over from their fathers. The first Heraclid king was Agron. The last one was Candaules.

Candaules died around 687 BC. This means Agron probably became king around 1192 BC. This time was important because it was when a big empire, the Hurri-Hittite empire, fell apart. This might have allowed Lydia to become an independent kingdom.

Here are the known Heraclid kings:

• Agron (ruled around 1192 BC; he was a great-great-grandson of Heracles)
• 19 legendary kings whose names are not known, all followed their fathers
• Meles, also called Myrsus (lived in the 8th century BC; he was Candaules's father)
• Candaules, also called Myrsilus (died around 687 BC; he was probably a real historical king; he was killed by Gyges)

Mermnadae: The Historical Kings

The Mermnadae kings are real historical figures, not just legends. However, the exact dates for their rule are still debated by historians. The traditional dates come from an ancient writer named Herodotus.

There were five kings in the Mermnad family line:

• Gyges, also called Guges (ruled around 680–644 BCE; he married Candaules's widow)
• Ardys, also called Ardysus (ruled around 644–637 BC; he was Gyges's son)
• Sadyattes (ruled around 637–635 BCE; he was Ardys's son)
• Alyattes (ruled around 635–585 BCE; he was Sadyattes's son)
• Croesus, also called Kroisos (ruled around 585–546 BC; he was Alyattes's son)

Gyges died in a battle around 644 BCE while fighting against a group called the Cimmerians. His son Ardys took over as king. The most successful king of this dynasty was Alyattes. Under his rule, Lydia became very powerful and rich.

The last Mermnad king was Croesus. He was defeated by Cyrus the Great, the founder of the Persian Empire, in two battles: the Battle of Pteria and the Battle of Thymbra. Cyrus then took over Lydia after a long fight called the Siege of Sardis, which ended in early 546 BC. What happened to King Croesus after that is not fully known.