Sardis was the proverbial fortified city set on a hill. Thought by its inhabitants to be impregnable, it cultivated a reputation of invulnerability. As the capital of the kingdom of Lydia, Sardis was the seat of Croesus, a king whose legendary wealth derived from two primary sources: the gold in the river running through the city and the export trade of woven textiles. Ironically, the city was also renowned because of the infamous collapses of its acclaimed defenses. In 549 B.C.E., Croesus, engaged