This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

At the Battle of Pteria in 547 BC, the Persian forces of Cyrus the Great fought a drawn battle with the invading Lydian forces of Croesus, forcing Croesus to withdraw back west into his own kingdom. Formerly, the Lydians and Medes had arranged that the natural boundary between the two empires would be the Halys River. Croesus learned of the sudden Persian uprising and defeat of his long time rivals, the Medes. He attempted to opportunistically use these set of events to expand his borders upon the eastern frontier of Lydia. The Battle of Thymbra was the decisive battle in the war between Croesus of Lydia and Cyrus of Persia in 546 BC. Cyrus, having pursued Croesus into Lydia following the drawn Battle of Pteria, met Croesuss army - including Egyptian and Greek contingents - in battle near Sardis and utterly defeated... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 590s BC - 580s BC - 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC Events and Trends 548 BC -- Croesus, Lydian king, defeated by Cyrus. ... Persia redirects here. ... “Cyrus” redirects here. ... Lydia (Greek ) is a historic region of western Anatolia, congruent with Turkeys modern provinces of İzmir and Manisa. ... Croesus Croesus (IPA pronunciation: , CREE-sus) was the king of Lydia from 560/561 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC. The English name Croesus come from the Latin transliteration of the Greek , in Arabic and Persian قارون, Qârun. ... Mede nobility. ... The Kızıl River (Turkish: , Red River; ancient Greek: Άλυς Halys) is the longest river in Turkey. ...

Concerning the battle however, the Persians reclaimed the land of the Medes in their name. And as Herodotus refers to how the Lydians fell short in defeating the Persians, it seems clear that partly because of the unsuccessful battle, and having less troops than the Persians, it was enough for Croesus to retreat. So it could be counted as a strategic victory for the Persia, for acquiring that land into the newly formed Achaemenid Empire, but if a stalemate too, it would explain the heavy casualities on the Lydians and Persians. So in the outcome of the battle, it's debatable and unclear, even to historians. Before all of this, and prior to his invasion, Croesus asked the Oracle of Delphi for advice. The Oracle suggested vaguely that, "if King Croesus should cross the Halys River, a great empire would be destroyed." Croesus took these words with delight, instigating a war that would ironically and eventually end not the Persian Empire but terminate his own. Mede nobility. ... Herodotus of Halicarnassus (Greek: HÄ“ródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek historian who lived in the 5th century BC (ca. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... The Achaemenid Empire (Old Persian: Hakhāmanishiya, هخامنشیان also frequently, the Achaemenid Persian Empire.) (559 BC–338 BC) was the first of the Persian Empires to rule over significant portions of Greater Iran. ... The word Sibyl comes (via Latin) from the ancient Greek word sibylla, meaning prophetess. ...

This battle was shortly followed by the Battle of Thymbra, which ended in a decisive victory for Cyrus the Great. The Battle of Thymbra was the decisive battle in the war between Croesus of Lydia and Cyrus of Persia in 546 BC. Cyrus, having pursued Croesus into Lydia following the drawn Battle of Pteria, met Croesuss army - including Egyptian and Greek contingents - in battle near Sardis and utterly defeated...