Lydia Timeline

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1200 BCE

Lydia arises as a Neo-Hittite kingdom.
1185 BCE - 687 BCE

Heraclid dynasty rules Lydia.
c. 700 BCE - 546 BCE

The Mermnad dynasty rules Lydia.
687 BCE - 546 BCE

Mermnad dynasty rules Lydia.
687 BCE - 652 BCE

King Gyges rules Lydia and expands its borders. Sardis becomes Lydian capital.
c. 625 BCE

Lydia drives back the Cimmerians and conquers Phrygia.
609 BCE - 560 BCE

Reign of Alyattes of Lydia. Minting of first coins made from electrum.
c. 600 BCE

Gordium becomes part of Lydia.
28 May 585 BCE

A battle between Media and Lydia broke off immediately as a result a total eclipse of the sun and the two armies made peace. The eclipse was successfully predicted by Thales of Miletus.
560 BCE - 547 BCE

Reign of Croesus of Lydia.
560 BCE

The oracles of Delphi and Thebes both tell King Croesus of Lydia that if he attacks the Medes, he will destroy a great empire. Seeing this as a good omen, he goes to war, loses, and the Lydian Empire is destroyed.
c. 550 BCE - c. 430 BCE

Construction of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
c. 498 BCE

Ionians and Greek allies invade and burn Sardis (capital of Lydia).
334 BCE

Sardis surrenders to Alexander the Great.
280 BCE

Lydia becomes a part of the Seleucid Empire.
133 BCE

Lydia and its captial Sardis comes under Roman rule.
17 BCE

An earthquake destroys 12 cities in Lydia and affects Sardis.
124 CE

Roman emperor Hadrian visits Lydia.
215 CE

Roman emperor Caracalla visits Lydia.
616 CE

Sardis' civc life comes to an end. A Persian army penetrates the Roman defensive lines that had been deployed in eastern Anatolia. Soon after, part of that region falls to the Persians, including Sardis.