Sadyattes
Sadyattes, son of Ardys, was King of
Lydia from
624 BC to
610 BC. He was succeeded by his son
Alyattes II. The Greeks nicknamed him
Candaules, 'the dog-strangler', after a name of the Lydian god
Hermes.
Herodotus wrote (in
Inquiries) that he fought with Cyaxares, the descendant of Deioces, and with the
Medes, drove out the
Cimmerians from
Asia, took
Smyrna, which had been founded by colonists from
Colophon, and invaded
Clazomenae and
Miletus. After ruling for twelve years he was assassinated by his former friend
Gyges, who succeeded him on the throne of Lydia.