Question 1

What was the Battle of Thymbra?

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Thymbra (547 BCE) was the decisive engagement between Cyrus of Persia and Croesus of Lydia resulting in a Persian victory and the fall of Lydia.

Question 2

How did Cyrus defeat Croesus at the Battle of Thymbra?

Accepted Answer

Cyrus defeated Croesus through the tactic of the inverted crescent which allowed the Persians to envelop the Lydians on three sides and through the use of camel cavalry which neutralized the Lydian cavalry whose horses were afraid of camels.

Question 3

What are the ancient sources on the Battle of Thymbra?

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Thymbra is given in Herodotus Histories I.79-81 and I.84 and in Xenophon's Cyropaedia 2.1.6 - where he gives the numbers of troops involved - and in 7.1.23-28 where he relates the battle. The battle is also mentioned by the writer Ctesias.

Question 4

Why is the Battle of Thymbra important?

Accepted Answer

The Battle of Thymbra is important because it ended the powerful Kingdom of Lydia, which was allied with Babylon, allowing Cyrus the Great to take Babylon, subdue Mesopotamia, and establish the Persian Achaemenid Empire.

Battle of Thymbra

Server Costs Fundraiser 2024

Definition

Timeline