Tugdamme

Cimmerian king

Also known as: Lygdamis

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July 14, 2026

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Tugdamme was a Cimmerian king who led his people in Anatolia around the 7th century BCE. The Cimmerians, originally from north of the Caucasus and Sea of Azov, were driven into Anatolia by the Scythians. Under Tugdamme's leadership, the Cimmerians achieved significant power, notably capturing Sardis, the capital of Lydia, in 652 BCE. This period marked the height of their influence. However, their decline soon followed, and Tugdamme's forces were ultimately defeated by Alyattes of Lydia around 637 or 626 BCE, leading to the Cimmerians fading from historical records.12

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Anatolia
The Cimmerians, Lydia, and Cilicia, c. 700–547 bce
…time the Cimmerian leader was Tugdamme (Lygdamis), who is identified in Greek tradition as the victor over Sardis in 652 and is also said to have attacked Ephesus. A nonaggression pact signed between Ashurbanipal and Tugdamme, if correctly dated after the mid-650s, confirms the Greek data concerning Tugdamme’s involvement in…
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…time the Cimmerian leader was Tugdamme (Lygdamis), who is identified in Greek tradition as the victor over Sardis in 652 and is also said to have attacked Ephesus. A nonaggression pact signed between Ashurbanipal and Tugdamme, if correctly dated after the mid-650s, confirms the Greek data concerning Tugdamme’s involvement in…
Read More