Battle of Halys
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Halys, also known as the Battle of the Eclipse, took place at the river Halys (now Kızılırmak, in Turkey) on May 28, 585 BC between the Medes
and the Lydians
. The final battle of a five-year war between Alyattes II
of Lydia
and Cyaxares
of the Medes, the battle ended abruptly due to a total solar eclipse
; the eclipse was perceived as an omen
, indicating that the god
s wanted the fighting to stop.
Since the exact dates of eclipses can be calculated, the Battle of the Eclipse is the earliest historical event of which the date is known with such precision. (This date is based on the proleptic Julian calendar
.) See also Mursili's eclipse
and the eclipse of Bur Sagale
(Histories
, 1.73-74) states that there were two reasons for the war; the two sides clashing interests in Anatolia
, but also there was a motive of revenge. Some Scythian hunters employed by the Medes who once returned empty-handed were insulted by Cyaxares. In revenge the hunters slaughtered one of his sons and served him to the Medes. The hunters then fled to Sardis
, the capital of the Lydians. When Cyaxares asked for the Scythians to be returned to him, Alyattes refused to hand them over; in response, the Medes invaded.
was married to Cyaxares's son Astyages
, and the river Halys was declared to be the border of the two warring nations.
According to NASA
, the eclipse peaked over the Atlantic Ocean
at 37.9°N 46.2°W and the umbra
l path reached south-western Anatolia in the evening hours, and the Halys River
is just within the error margin for delta-T provided. (See the eclipse path map)
Medes
The MedesThe Medes...
and the Lydians
Lydians
The Lydians were the inhabitants of Lydia, a region in western Anatolia, who spoke the distinctive Lydian language, an Indo-European language of the Anatolian group....
. The final battle of a five-year war between Alyattes II
Alyattes II
Alyattes, king of Lydia , considered to be the founder of the Lydian empire, was the son of Sadyattes, of the house of the Mermnadae....
of Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
and Cyaxares
Cyaxares
Cyaxares, Cyaxares the Great or Hvakhshathra , the son of King Phraortes, was the first king of Media. According to Herodotus, Cyaxares, grandson of Deioces, had a far greater military reputation than his father or grandfather, therefore he is often being described as the first official Median...
of the Medes, the battle ended abruptly due to a total solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
; the eclipse was perceived as an omen
Omen
An omen is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change...
, indicating that the god
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
s wanted the fighting to stop.
Since the exact dates of eclipses can be calculated, the Battle of the Eclipse is the earliest historical event of which the date is known with such precision. (This date is based on the proleptic Julian calendar
Proleptic Julian calendar
The proleptic Julian calendar is produced by extending the Julian calendar to dates preceding AD 4 when its quadrennial leap year stabilized. The leap years actually observed between its official implementation in 45 BC and AD 4 were erratic, see the Julian calendar article for details.A calendar...
.) See also Mursili's eclipse
Mursili's eclipse
The solar eclipse mentioned in a text dating to the reign of Mursili II could be of great importance for the absolute chronology of the Hittite Empire within the chronology of the Ancient Near East....
and the eclipse of Bur Sagale
Causes
HerodotusHerodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
(Histories
Histories (Herodotus)
The Histories of Herodotus is considered one of the seminal works of history in Western literature. Written from the 450s to the 420s BC in the Ionic dialect of classical Greek, The Histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that...
, 1.73-74) states that there were two reasons for the war; the two sides clashing interests in Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, but also there was a motive of revenge. Some Scythian hunters employed by the Medes who once returned empty-handed were insulted by Cyaxares. In revenge the hunters slaughtered one of his sons and served him to the Medes. The hunters then fled to Sardis
Sardis
Sardis or Sardes was an ancient city at the location of modern Sart in Turkey's Manisa Province...
, the capital of the Lydians. When Cyaxares asked for the Scythians to be returned to him, Alyattes refused to hand them over; in response, the Medes invaded.
Aftermath
A truce was hastily arranged. As part of the terms of the agreement, Alyattes's daughter AryenisAryenis
Aryenis of Lydia was, according to Herodotus, the daughter of King Alyattes II of Lydia and the sister of King Croesus of Lydia.Aryenis was also the Queen consort of Astyages, King of Media and mother of Mandane of Media and a probable Amytis, married to her nephew Cyrus the Great...
was married to Cyaxares's son Astyages
Astyages
Astyages Astyages Astyages (spelled by Herodotus as Ἀστυάγης - Astyages; by Ctesias as Astyigas; by Diodorus as Aspadas; Akkadian: Ištumegu, was the last king of the Median Empire, r...
, and the river Halys was declared to be the border of the two warring nations.
The eclipse
According to Herodotus (1.74):According to NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, the eclipse peaked over the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
at 37.9°N 46.2°W and the umbra
Umbra
The umbra, penumbra and antumbra are the names given to three distinct parts of a shadow, created by any light source. For a point source only the umbra is cast.These names are most often used to refer to the shadows cast by celestial bodies....
l path reached south-western Anatolia in the evening hours, and the Halys River
Halys River
The Kızılırmak , also known as the Halys River , is the longest river in Turkey. It is a source of hydroelectric power and is not used for navigation.- Geography :...
is just within the error margin for delta-T provided. (See the eclipse path map)
