Like the Trojan War, the Persian Wars were another moment in Greek history. In the middle of the sixth century BC, the Greek city-states along the coast of Asia Minor came under the control of the Lydians and their king, Croesus (560-546 BC). However, when King Croesus died in 546 B.C., the Persians took advantage of that. They conquered the Lydians in 546 B.C. The Persians took control of their new cities by letting individuals rule the states. They also required citizens to make food and catch clean water for the Persian army and to pay more taxes. The rulers of the cities, lead by Aristagoras, began a democratic rebellion in 499 BC. Aristagoras had been placed in power by the Persians, but when he commanded the Persians to attack Naxos he failed, and he began to fear for his life. So he rebelled against the Persians and went to the Greek mainland for help. He went first to the Spartans (since they were the most powerful state in Greece). They did not help him. When he went to the Athenians, they gave him twenty ships. In 498 BC, the Athenians conquered and burned Sardis, which was the capital of Lydia, and all the Greek cities in Asia Minor. The Athenians, however, lost interest in all of this and went home. By 495 B.C., the Persians, under king Darius I (521-486 BC), had taken back control over the rebellious Greek cities.