# 644 BC

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The year **644 BC** was a year of the [pre-Julian Roman calendar](/source/Roman_calendar). In the [Roman Empire](/source/Roman_Empire), it was known as **year 110 *[Ab urbe condita](/source/Ab_urbe_condita)***. The denomination 644 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [Anno Domini](/source/Anno_Domini) [calendar era](/source/Calendar_era) became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

## Events

### Asia Minor

- Cimmerian forces from [Anatolia](/source/Anatolia) conquer [Sardis](/source/Sardis) and reach the peak of their power. King [Gyges of Lydia](/source/Gyges_of_Lydia) has spent most of his 28-year reign fighting his southern and western neighbors in an effort to gain [suzerainty](/source/Suzerainty) over all of Western [Asia Minor](/source/Asia_Minor). He has helped the rebellion of Psamtik I, but he receives no support from his erstwhile Assyrian ally Ashurbanipal. Gyges falls in a battle against the [Cimmerians](/source/Cimmerians) under king [Tugdamme](/source/Tugdamme) (approximate date).
- [Ardys](/source/Ardys_of_Lydia) succeeds his father Gyges as the second Mermnad king of [Lydia](/source/Lydia). During his reign he finds payment of [tribute](/source/Tribute) to [Assyria](/source/Assyria) preferable to rule by the Cimmerians, who will be routed a few decades later.

## Deaths

- [Gyges](/source/Gyges_of_Lydia), king of [Lydia](/source/Lydia) (approximate date)
- [Bao Shuya](/source/Bao_Shuya), prominent official under [Duke Huan of Qi](/source/Duke_Huan_of_Qi)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [644 BC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/644_BC) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/644_BC?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.