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Sardis |
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 Sardis
lies in the territory of Lydia, at
the foot of the Tmolus Mountains and
overlooking the Hermus River plain,
where evidence has been found of
human activity as early as the
Palaeolithic period (ca. 50,000
B.C.). By the late second millennium
B.C., a modest community existed at
the foot of the acropolis.
According to the ancient Greek historian
Herodotus, the "sons of Herakles"
founded a dynasty that remained in
power for "505 years, son succeeding
father from generation to generation
till the time of Candaules" (from ca.
1185 to ca. 680 B.C.). By the early
7th century B.C., Sardis was the
capital of a growing empire, with a
distinct archaeological record.
Suring the Mermnad dynasty (ca. 680-547 B.C.), the empire reached its
greatest geographical extent,
stretching from the Aegean Sea to
central Anatolia.
Herodotus credits the Lydian kings with the invention of coinage and the
construction of the great royal
burial mounds at Bin Tepe, some 6
miles to the northwest of the
acropolis. Kings Gyges and Croesus
were particularly renowned for
lavish gifts dedicated in Greek
sanctuaries. In 547 B.C., Sardis was
sacked by Cyrus the Great and
remained under Persian control until
334 B.C., when it was captured by
Alexander the Great.
The city continued to flourish during
Hellenistic and Roman times, when
ambitious construction projects were
initiated, including the temple of
Artemis and bath-gymnasium complex.
A section of the bath-gymnasium
complex was later remodeled to
accommodate a synagogue. This
synagogue, now partially restored by
the Harvard-Cornell Expedition, is
the largest early synagogue yet
excavated in the Mediterranean world.
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