Lydia, << LIHD ee uh, >> was a country in ancient Asia Minor. It was famous for its fertile soil and its rich mineral deposits, especially the gold of the River Pactolus. In the early 500’s B.C., Lydia was an independent and prosperous kingdom. In about 545 B.C., the Persians conquered Croesus, the last king of the Lydians. Later, Lydia fell to the Macedonians and the Romans. Because Lydia lay at the western end of the road connecting Mesopotamia and the East with the Aegean Sea and Greece, it was a great commercial center. Lydia was one of the first countries to cast coins. Since 1958, archaeologists have been excavating Sardis, the capital city of Lydia. They have found sculpture and other artifacts, a synagogue, and a gymnasium complex. See also Croesus ; Cyrus the Great ; Money (Early coins) ; Phrygia .
