Gyges
Gyges was a significant figure in ancient Lydia, known primarily for his dramatic rise to power in the 7th century BCE. He was the son of Dascylus and served as a bodyguard to King Candaules of Sardis. The tale of Gyges' ascension begins with Candaules' pride in his wife's beauty, which led him to compel Gyges to secretly observe her naked, violating Lydian norms regarding nudity. When the queen discovered this, she demanded Gyges choose between killing Candaules or facing death himself. Ultimately, Gyges chose to slay the king, which allowed him to marry the queen and become king himself, ruling from approximately 680 to 645 BCE.
Gyges' story has been recounted by historians like Herodotus and philosophers like Plato, the latter of whom also introduced a mythical element involving a ring that granted him invisibility. Additionally, Gyges is noted for being among the first to send offerings to the Oracle at Delphi and for his military actions in collaboration with the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. His legacy remains an intriguing narrative of power, desire, and moral choice, resonating through ancient Greek culture.
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Gyges
Related civilizations: Lydia, Assyria, Archaic Greece
Major role/position: King, military leader, Mermnad Dynasty founder
Life
Gyges’ (JI-jeez) early life is sketchy, although it is known that he was the son of Dascylus. Historian Herodotus and philosopher Plato relate his unusual coming to the throne of Lydia. King Candaules of Sardis was proud of his wife and thought her the most beautiful woman in the world. Gyges was a trusted royal bodyguard, but the king felt Gyges did not share his opinion of his queen’s surpassing beauty. The king forced reluctant Gyges to observe the queen’s nakedness while hidden in her chamber. The disgraced queen took vengeance on her husband—nudity was a Lydian taboo—by summoning Gyges and compelling him to choose: slay Candaules and become king or die immediately himself. Astonished but ultimately persuaded, Gyges took the queen’s challenge, slew his predecessor, and married the queen, ruling Lydia from roughly 680 to 645 b.c.e.
Plato’s Politeia (388-368 b.c.e.; Republic, 1701) claims that Gyges was a shepherd who found a magic ring, making him invisible and thus able to pursue seduction and accomplish murder. Herodotus also tells how Gyges was among the first barbarians known to send offerings to Delphi after the oracle confirmed him as king. Gyges also collaborated with the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in Anatolia and invaded the Ionian Greek city of Miletus.
Influence
The story of Gyges’ succession to the Lydian throne is famous to the Greeks.
Bibliography
Herodotus. The Histories. Translated by Robin Waterfield. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Plato. The Republic. Edited by G. R. F. Ferrari, translated by Tom Griffith. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2000.