Ancient Persian Timeline


B.C. 1500 (?)-Teachings of Zoroaster. 1000 (?)-The Persians and Medes enter Persia from the north and gradually take possession of it. 750 (?)-Possible rule of Achaemenes in Persia, the first Persian king. 700 (?)-Deioces said to have gathered the Medes into a single kingdom. 647 (?)-Phraortes, the Median leader, rules also over Persia and Elam; the attacks the Assyrians and is slain. 625-Cyaxares, son of Phraortes, rallies the Medes after his father's defeat; he attacks Nineveh. He defeats the Scyths. 610-He unites with Babylon in a third war on Assyria. 607-He destroys Nineveh, and establishes a Median Empire. 593-He wars against Lydia. 585-Astyages succeeds Cyaxares as the Median monarch. 553-Cyrus, the vassal king of Persia. revolts against Astyages. 550-Cyrus conquers Ecbatana, the Median capital, and becomes ruler of the united Medes and Persians. The Persian Empire begins. 548-Lydia, Egypt, Babylon, and Sparta unite against Cyrus; he attacks Lydia. 546-He storms Sardis, the Lydian capital, and conquers Croesus, its king. 545-Cyrus completely subjugates Asia Minor and begins the conquest of central Asia. 539-Returning from his eastern victories, he attacks Babylon. 538-Cyrus conquers Babylon. 529-Death of Cyrus; his son Cambyses slays his other son Smerdis, and sets out to conquer Egypt. 525-Battle of Pelusium and overthrow of Egypt. 524- loses his armies in the desert. 522-Revolt of the false Smerdis; Cambyses commits suicide. 521-Darius overthrows the false Smerdis and reconquers the revolted provinces. 515-Darius organizes the Persian empire; he invades European Scythia. 490-The Greeks repel the Persians at Marathon. 485-Darius is succeeded by Xerxes. 480-The great invasion of Greece by Xerxes repelled at Salamis; Xerxes retires to Persepolis. 479-The Persians driven from Greece by the defeats of Plataea and Mycale. 470-Repeated naval defeats at the hands of Greeks. 465-Xerxes assassinated; the rule of the palace officials begins. 460-Egypt rebels, but is reconquered after six years of war. 405-Egypt wins independence. 401-Cyrus, a Persian prince, fights for the empire by the aid of Greek mercenaries; he is defeated; retreat of the "ten thousand" Greeks under Xenophon. 365-Asia Minor revolts from Persia. 340-Artaxerxes III. reconquers Egypt. 336-Philip of Macedon invades the Persian empire; he dies. 334-Alexander of Macedon invades the Persian empire, wins Asia Minor by the battle of Granicus. 333-Alexander defeats the Persian king Darius at Issus, and captures Tyre. 331-Final overthrow of the Persians by Alexander at Arbela; Persepolis captured and burned. 323-Alexander dies at Babylon and his generals struggle for his empire. 312-The general Seleucus secures Persia and establishes the Greek-Persian kingdom of the Seleucidae. 250-The Parthians conquer Persia.