Pactolus (Greek: Πακτωλός), also called Chrysorrhoas (Χρυσορρόας), the modern Sart Çayı-Sardis stream, is a river near the Aegean coast of Turkey. The river rises from Mount Tmolus, flows through the ruins of the ancient city of Sardis, and empties into the Gediz River, the ancient Hermus. The Pactolus once contained electrum that was the basis of the economy of the ancient state of Lydia, which used the naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver to mint the first coins under Alyattes of Lydia.
