Persian Empire
Iran's first world empire
Cyrus the Great
a minor tribal king unites the Medes and Persians and conquers the world
559–530 BCE
Darius and the Empire's Machinery
the Royal Road, satraps, and the administrative genius of Darius I
522–490 BCE
The Greek Wars
Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis — Persia's failed invasion of Greece
499–449 BCE
The Long Afternoon
a century of palace intrigue, revolts, and gradual weakening
449–336 BCE
Alexander and the End
Alexander's lightning conquest and the end of the Achaemenid dynasty
336–323 BCE
The Parthian Rise
nomadic Parthians build an empire from the Seleucid ruins
247–53 BCE
Parthia vs. Rome
three centuries of war between Parthia and Rome
53 BCE–224 CE
Ardashir and the Sassanid Revolution
a new Persian dynasty overthrows Parthia and revives Zoroastrianism
224–309 CE
The Sassanid Golden Age
Shapur II, Khosrow I, and the peak of pre-Islamic Iranian civilization
309–590 CE
The Last Persian Empire
the final Roman war, Arab conquest, and Persia's transformation into Iran
590–651 CE