Battle of the Eclipse | |||||||
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Part of the Medo–Lydian War | |||||||
Halys River in the border regions of the Lydian and Median kingdoms in the early 6th century BCE | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Lydia | Media | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Alyattes | Cyaxares |
The Battle of the Eclipse[1] (or Battle of the Halys)[2] was fought in the early 6th century BCE in Anatolia (present-day Turkey) between the Medes and the Lydians. According to ancient Greek historian Herodotus, the battle was interrupted by "day turning into night"—presumably a solar eclipse—and the result was a draw which led to both parties negotiating a peace treaty and ending a six-year war.