Chapter XVII

LYDIANS. — MEDES. — CIMMERIANS. — SCYTHIANS.

Lydians — their music and instruments. — They and their capital
Sardis unknown to Homer. — Early Lydian kings. — Kandaulês
and Gygês. — The Mermnad dynasty succeeds to the Herakleid. —
Legend of Gygês in Plato. — Feminine influence running through
the legends of Asia Minor. — Distribution of Lydia into two
parts — Lydia and Torrhêbia. — Proceedings of Gygês. — His son
and successor Ardys. — Assyrians and Medes. — First Median
king — Dêïokês. — His history composed of Grecian materials,
not Oriental. — Phraortês — Kyaxarês. — Siege of Nineveh —
invasion of the Scythians and Cimmerians. — The Cimmerians. —
The Scythians. — Grecian settlements on the coast of the Euxine.
— Scythia as described by Herodotus. — Tribes of Scythians. —
Manners and worship. — Scythians formidable from numbers and
courage. — Sarmatians. — Tribes east and north of the Palus
Mæotis. — Tauri in the Crimea — Massagetæ. — Invasion of Asia
by Scythians and Cimmerians. — Cimmerians driven out of their
country by the Scythians. — Difficulties in the narrative of
Herodotus. — Cimmerians in Asia Minor. — Scythians in Upper
Asia. — Expulsion of these Nomads, after a temporary occupation.
— Lydian kings Sadyattês and Alyattês — war against Milêtus. —
Sacrilege committed by Alyattês — oracle — he makes peace with
Milêtus. — Long reign — death — and sepulchre, of Alyattês. —
Crœsus. — He attacks and conquers the Asiatic Greeks. — Want of
coöperation among the Ionic cities. — Unavailing suggestion of
Thalês — to merge the twelve Ionic cities into one Pan-Ionic city
at Teôs. — Capture of Ephesus. — Crœsus becomes king of all Asia
westward of the Halys. — New and important era for the Hellenic
world — commencing with the conquests of Crœsus. — Action of the
Lydian empire continued on a still larger scale by the Persians.
219-263