Gyes

Gyes, also known as Gyges (Greek: Γύγής or Γύγεως in some transliterations), is a figure that appears in ancient sources and later philosophical literature. The name is sometimes rendered as Gyes in various languages. In historical and literary contexts, Gyges is most often associated with Lydia, a kingdom in western Asia Minor.

In Herodotus and later ancient writers, Gyges is described as a king who rose to the Lydia throne by overthrowing his predecessor, Candaules. According to the tradition, Candaules favored exposing his wife to Gyges; after the queen learned of this, Gyges killed the king and assumed power, supposedly founding the Mermnad dynasty and strengthening Lydia. The historicity and exact chronology of Gyges’s reign are debated, and his story often blends legendary elements with early historical memory.

Gyges is also renowned in philosophy due to a separate yet related tale used by Plato in the Republic. In this thought experiment, a shepherd named Gyges discovers a ring that grants him invisibility. With the ring, he commits acts—including murder and seduction—and ultimately secures the throne. Plato uses the story to question whether justice is desirable if one can act without fear of punishment, a discussion that has influenced ethical and political philosophy for centuries.

Because sources differ and later traditions sometimes blur lines between myth and history, Gyges/Gyes is typically treated as a figure with both legendary and historical aspects. Modern scholarship often views the name as representing Lydia’s early rulers, whose exploits contributed to the region’s rise in the first millennium BCE.