7. Whilst not using magic to achieve his objectives, the ancient story of Gyges of Lydia follows the broad narrative of a usurping founder of a new dynasty in Asia Minor
Appearing in Plato’s Republic, Gyges was supposedly a shepherd from Lydia – an area of modern-day Turkey – who discovered a golden ring buried in a cave following an earthquake. Granting the wearer the power of invisibility, Gyges used the ring to seduce a queen, murder his king, and usurp control over the realm. Using the story to allegorically demonstrate the inherently unjust nature of mankind, requiring laws to govern out freedoms to prevent anarchy, despite the unrealistic components of Plato’s narrative, Gyges of Lydia is widely regarded as a real historical figure from antiquity.
The founder of the Mermnad dynasty of the Lydian monarchy, although the dates of his reign are uncertain it is generally believed Gyges ruled between 687 and 652 BCE. Previously serving as the bodyguard of his predecessor, Candaules, whom he assassinated to seize the throne, his action had been approved in advance by the Delphic Oracle as a means to prevent civil war erupting in the troubled state. Consolidating his kingdom and expanding into neighboring provinces, Gyges successfully repelled the rampaging Cimmerians and ushered in an age of prosperity and strength for the waning kingdom.