After this, since Alyattes
would not give up the Scythians to Cyaxares at his demand, there was war between the
Lydians and the Medes for five years; each won many victories over the other, and
once they fought a battle by night.
They were still warring with equal success, when it happened, at an
encounter which occurred in the sixth year, that during the battle the day
was suddenly turned to night. Thales of Miletus [27.3,37.5]
(Perseus)Miletus had foretold this loss of daylight to the Ionians, fixing it within the year in which the change did indeed
happen.All evidence, historical and
astronomical, fixes the date of this eclipse as May 28, 585 B.C. There was
another eclipse of the sun in Alyattes' reign,
on Sept. 30, 610; but it appears that this latter was not total in Anadolu [35,39] (region
(general)), Turkey, Asia Asia Minor: and Pliny's mention of the phenomenon
places it in the 170th year from the foundation of Rome [12.4833,41.9] (Perseus) Rome. Thales died at an advanced age in 548 B.C.
So when the Lydians and Medes saw the day turned to night, they stopped fighting, and
both were the more eager to make peace. Those who reconciled them were Syennesis the Cilician and
Labynetus the Babylonian;