Candaules

right|thumb|250px|[[Candaules, King of Lydia, Shews his Wife by Stealth to Gyges, One of his Ministers, as She Goes to Bed by William Etty. This image illustrates Herodotus' tale of Candaules and Gyges.]]

Candaules (died c.717 BC; ; , Kandaulēs), also known as Myrsilos (Μυρσίλος),

Based on an ambiguous line in the work of the Greek poet Hipponax, it was traditionally assumed that the name Candaules meant "hound-choker" among the Lydians. J. B. Bury and Russell Meiggs (1975) say that Candaules is a Maeonian name meaning "hound-choker". The name or title of Candaules is the origin of the term candaulism, a sexual practice which legend attributed to him.

Several stories of how the Heraclid dynasty of Candaules ended and the Mermnad dynasty of Gyges began have been related by different authors throughout history, mostly in a mythical vein. In Plato's Republic, Gyges used a magical ring to become invisible and usurp the throne, a plot device which has reappeared in numerous myths and works of fiction throughout history. The earliest story, related by Herodotus in the 5th century BC, has Candaules betrayed and executed by his wife.

Herodotus's tale of King Candaules, Gyges and the queen

right|thumb|[[Candaules Showing His Wife to Gyges (Jordaens)|Candaules Showing His Wife to Gyges by Jacob Jordaens, 1646]]

According to Herodotus in The Histories, Candaules believed his wife to be the most beautiful woman on Earth.

Candaules often told his favourite bodyguard, Gyges, how beautiful the queen was and, thinking Gyges did not believe him, urged Gyges to contrive to see her naked. Gyges initially refused as he did not wish to dishonor the queen. Nevertheless, Candaules was insistent and Gyges had no option but to obey his king. So Gyges hid in Candaules' bedroom and, when the queen entered, watched her undress. As she was getting into bed, he quietly left the room, but the queen saw him and realised what had happened. Herodotus commented: "For with the Lydians, as with most barbarian (i.e., non-Greek) races, it is thought highly indecent even for a man to be seen naked".

The queen silently swore revenge for her shame. Next day, she summoned Gyges to her chamber. Gyges thought it was a routine request, but she confronted him immediately and presented him with two choices. One was to kill Candaules and seize the throne with Nyssia as his wife. The second was to be executed immediately by her trusted servants. Gyges pleaded with her to relent but she would not. He decided to take the first course of action and assassinate the king. The plan was that he should hide in the royal bedroom as before but this time from the king. After Candaules fell asleep, Gyges crept forward and stabbed him to death.

Modern view of the story

The story is rejected by Bury and Meiggs, who assert that the family of Candaules, although descended from Heracles himself, had become degenerate. As a result, Candaules was assassinated 687 BC by Gyges, who ushered in a new era for Lydia ruled by his own Mermnadae clan.

Alexander von Zemlinsky's opera Der König Kandaules is based on the play Le roi Candaule by André Gide.

Herodotus's tale of King Candaules, Gyges and the queen

Modern view of the story

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