▁ 7 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁L yd ians ▁under ▁the ▁newly ▁established ▁M erm nad ▁dynast y , ▁with ▁the ▁present - day ▁Man isa ▁region ▁as ▁their ▁heart land ▁expanded ▁their ▁control ▁over ▁a ▁large ▁part ▁of ▁An atol ia , ▁r uling ▁from ▁their ▁capital ▁" S f ard " ▁( S ard , ▁S ard es , ▁S ard is ) ▁situated ▁more ▁in land ▁at ▁a ▁distance ▁of ▁ ▁from ▁Man isa . ▁The ▁v estig es ▁from ▁their ▁capital ▁which ▁reached ▁our ▁day ▁bring ▁together ▁remains ▁from ▁several ▁success ive ▁civil izations . ▁ ▁H ellen istic , ▁Roman ▁and ▁By z antine ▁periods ▁▁ ▁In ▁classical ▁anti qu ity , ▁Rom ans ▁knew ▁the ▁city ▁as ▁Mag nes ia ▁ad ▁S ip yl um . ▁There , ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 ▁BC , ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic ▁defeated ▁the ▁Sele uc id ▁king ▁Ant io chus ▁the ▁Great ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mag nes ia . ▁Mag nes ia ▁ad ▁S ip yl um ▁became ▁a ▁city ▁of ▁importance ▁under ▁Roman ▁rule , ▁and ▁though ▁nearly ▁destroyed ▁by ▁an ▁earth qu ake ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁T iber ius ▁( R oman ▁Emperor ▁from ▁ 1 4 ▁AD ▁to ▁ 3 7 ▁AD ), ▁was ▁restored ▁by ▁that ▁em peror ▁and ▁fl our ished ▁through ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁emp ire . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 0 7 6 ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁lost ▁the ▁city ▁to ▁the ▁ ▁Sel ju