As harmless as solar eclipses are, they have historically been viewed as omens that bring about destruction and death. According to surviving records, the ancient Chinese and Babylonians were able to predict eclipses accurately as early as 2500 BC. They were thought to represent the health and success of the emperor in China and in the case they were not predicted, it would entail putting him at risk. The Babylonians also believed them to be bad omens for kings and would appoint temporary ones so that the effect of the eclipse would fall upon them rather than the real king. In Greek traditions, Herodotus believed that the eclipse stopped the war between Lydians and the Medes in 585 BCE as they saw the dark sky to be an indictor to make peace with one another.