Zagwe Dynasty: Did you mean...?

The Julio-Claudians were the first dynasty to rule the Roman Empire. After the death of the dictator-for-life Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, his adopted son Octavian - later to become known as Augustus (r. 27 BCE - 14 CE) - fought a civil war against...

The Julio-Claudian dynasty is the collective name given to the first five emperors of the ancient Roman Empire. The name of the dynasty derives from the names of the two families from which its members came: the Julii Caesares and Claudii...

A series of facial reconstructions of Roman emperors from the Nerva-Antonine Dynasty (96 CE-192 CE), the Year of the Five Emperors (193 CE) and the Severan Dynasty (193-235 CE). These photorealistic representations are only best guesses at...

Ancient China produced what has become the oldest extant culture in the world. The name 'China' comes from the Sanskrit Cina (derived from the name of the Chinese Qin Dynasty, pronounced 'Chin') which was translated as 'Cin' by the Persians...

This map illustrates the rise and expansion of the Shang dynasty, which emerged around 1600 BCE after the fall of the Xia dynasty. Centered on the North China Plain, the Shang established a hereditary monarchy with a centralized government...

A map illustrating the Tang Dynasty of China at its greatest extent under the rule of Emperor Gaozong, encompassing modern-day China, parts of Central Asia, and the Korean Peninsula. Around 669, the Empire reached its pinnacle of economic...

This map illustrates the rise and expansion of the Merovingians, a Frankish dynasty that, by the late 5th century, unified the fragmented tribes of present-day France, Germany, the Low Countries, Switzerland, and Austria. Beginning with Clovis...

A celadon fish-dragon ewer. 12th century CE, Goryeo Dynasty, Korea. (National Museum of Korea, Soul, South Korea)

A map indicating the territory controlled by the Liao dynasty (Khitans), 907-1125 CE.

This infographic illustrates the royal lineage of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, which ruled Egypt during the Hellenistic period (305–30 BCE). Founded by Ptolemy I Soter, a companion of Alexander the Great, the dynasty is notable for elevating royal...