The Battle of Sardis was in between revolting Ionians and Persians who stationed their forces in the city of Sardis (Sardes). An Athenian force of twenty triremes, five triremes from Eretria and local Ionians united in Ephesus and marched towards Sardis in the spring of 498 BC.
Artaphernes was the regional satrap, and he did not expect any attack to his capital Sardis. Ionians led by Ephesians organized a surprise attack on Persians. Persians caught without any preparations had to retreat to the inner city.
Ionians who thought they have won started to burn and plunder Sardis city. Following this big mistake of Ionians, Persians charged out of the acropolis and pushed the Ionian Greeks out of the city. Later Ionian Greeks were destroyed by the Persian reinforcements in the Battle of Ephesus in 1147.
