TIMELINE: The Sassanian Empire

The Sassanian Empire: Rome’s unbeaten rival in the East.

With all its success and brilliance in Europe, the Mediterranean, and North Africa, Rome never conquered the Spah (‘military’) of the Sassanian Empire. Roman emperors such as Alexander Severus, Valerian, and Julian the Apostate tried and failed to subjugate Persia. Thanks to European and Iranian military historians, as well as Classical, Iranian, and Islamic sources, we now have a clearer picture of the formidable Spah.

Here, MHM brings you a timeline of the key dates in the Sassanian Empire’s history.

Surrender-of-the-Emperor-Valerian-to-Shapur-I — Surrender of Emperor Valerian (AD 253-259) to Shapur I (AD 240/242-270/272). The Sassanian ‘King of Kings’ is mounted, and Valerian stands before him behind a kneeling figure believed to represent Philip the Arab (AD 244-249), a Roman emperor defeated in an earlier battle.

330 BC

Alexander the Great conquers Iran (Persia).

323 BC

Iran becomes part of Hellenistic Seleucid Empire.

155 BC

Parthians conquer Iran.

AD 224

Parthians overthrown and Sassanian Empire founded by Ardashir I (224-240).

AD 240-270

Reign of Shapur I, conqueror and founder of cities.

AD 309-379

Reign of Shapur II, conqueror who defeated Julian the Apostate in AD 363.

AD 531-579

Reign of Khosrau (Chosroes) I, military and administrative reformer, patron of the arts.

AD 591-628

Reign of Khosrau (Chosroes) II, under whom Empire reached its greatest extent.

AD 632-651

Reign of Yazdgird III, under whom Empire disintegrated.

AD 651

Sassanian Empire overthrown by Arab-Muslim Caliphate.

This article is an extract from ‘Soldiers of the Sassanian Empire: Rome’s unbeaten rivals in the East’, which featured in issue 50 of Military History Monthly.

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