The Eclipse That Stopped a Battle
In the middle of a battle in ancient Anatolia, day suddenly turned to night. The armies took it as a sign, laid down their weapons and made peace.
What was reported
The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the Medes and the Lydians had been at war for five years. During a battle near the river Halys, the day was suddenly turned into night. Both sides were so alarmed that they stopped fighting and agreed a peace, sealed by a marriage between their royal families.
Herodotus added that the philosopher Thales of Miletus had predicted the year it would happen.
Explanations offered
Astronomers calculate that a total eclipse of the Sun crossed the region on 28 May 585 BCE, which makes it one of the earliest historical events that can be dated to the day. Whether Thales could really have predicted it is doubted; the methods of his time could at best give a rough warning.
- When
- 28 May 585 BCE
- Where
- Near the Kızılırmak river, central Türkiye
- Witnesses
- Two armies, as told by Herodotus
- Status
- Partly confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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