Episode 04: Naked Ambition (1.6-14)

Herodotus plays tour guide/ethnographer and gives us a glimpse of the land of Lydia and its people. But should we believe him?

We delve into the family history of King Croesus of Lydia, whom Herodotus identifies as the first Easterner to wage war on Greeks. Croesus' great-great-grandfather, Gyges, takes the Lydian throne in an unexpected way, setting the stage for tragedy five generations in the future.