Alyattes

Alyattes (fl. c. 620–560 BCE) was a king of Lydia in western Anatolia and a member of the Mermnad dynasty. He was the son of Sadyattes and the father of Croesus, and he ruled after Gyges. His reign is known primarily through Greek sources, with a broader consensus placing him in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE.

During his rule, Lydia expanded its power and wealth and established its position as a regional kingdom. Alyattes conducted military campaigns against Ionian Greek cities on the western coast, most notably the city of Miletus. According to Herodotus, the war with Miletus endured for several years and ended in a settlement that acknowledged Lydian influence in Ionia, reflecting Lydia’s growing power in the region.

Alyattes’ reign is seen as laying the groundwork for the wealth and administrative development later associated with Croesus. While details of his policies are not well attested in Lydia itself, the era is regarded as a formative period for the Lydian state, setting the stage for its subsequent prominence and the accession of Croesus to the throne.

Sources for Alyattes are primarily Greek historians, with limited inscriptions from Lydia. As a result, much of what is known about his reign is derived from later narrative traditions, and exact dates and events may vary among scholars.