Sardīs
or
Sardes (
αἱ Σάρδεις, Ion.
Σάρδιες, contracted
Σάρδι_ς). One of the most ancient and famous cities of Asia Minor, and the
capital of the great Lydian monarchy, stood on the southern edge of the rich valley of the
Hermus, at the northern foot of Mount Tmolus, on the little river Pactolus, 30 stadia (three
geographical miles) south of the junction of that river with the Hermus (
Herod.v. 101). On a lofty precipitous rock, forming an outpost of the range of
Tmolus, was the almost impregnable citadel, which some suppose to be the Hydé of
Homer, who, though he never mentions the Lydians or Sardis by name, speaks of Mount Tmolus and
the Lake of Gyges (
Il. xx. 385). The erection of this citadel was
ascribed to Meles, an ancient king of Lydia. It was surrounded by a triple wall, and contained
the palace and treasury of the Lydian kings. At the downfall of the Lydian Empire, it resisted
all the attacks of Cyrus, and was only taken by surprise. The story is told by Herodotus, who
relates other legends of the fortress. The rest of the city, which stood in the plain on both
sides of the Pactolus, was very slightly built, and was repeatedly burned down, first by
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Coin of Sardis.
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the Cimmerian Gauls in the seventh century B.C., then by the Greeks in the great
Ionic revolt, and again, in part at least, by Antiochus the Great (B.C. 215); but on each
occasion it was restored. Under the Persian and Greco-Syrian Empires, it was the residence of
the satrap of Lydia. The rise of Pergamum greatly diminished its importance; but under the
Romans it was still a considerable city, and the seat of a
conventus
iuridicus (Pliny ,
Pliny H. N. v. 111).
In the reign of Tiberius, it was almost entirely destroyed by an earthquake, but was restored
by the aid of that emperor (
Tac. Ann. ii. 47).
It was one of the seven Christian Churches of the province of Asia. In 1402 it was totally
demolished by Tamerlane; but the triple wall of its acropolis can still be traced, and there
are remains of the temple of Cybelé, a theatre, the stadium, and other structures,
together with some vestiges of the necropolis, four miles distant from the city across the
river Hermus. The site of the city is still called Sart. See
Lydia.
