Lydia was a kingdom of western Asia Minor that existed from 1200 to 546 BC, with Sardis serving as its capital. Lydia developed after the decline of the Hittite Empire, and the kingdom was named for the Meione king Lydus. Lydia claimed Heracles as its ancestor, and it would grow to cover all of western Anatolia at its height during the 7th century BC. In 546 BC, the Lydian king Croesus was conquered by the Persian king Cyrus the Great, and Lydia became a satrapy of the Persian Empire.
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Location of Lydia