The Sasanian Empire (224–651), also known as Sassanian Persia, was the last pre-Islamic Persian empire and one of the great powers of Late Antiquity. Founded by Ardashir I after the overthrow of the Parthian Arsacid dynasty, it developed a powerful monarchy centered on Ctesiphon in Mesopotamia. Known in Middle Persian as Ērānšahr ("Realm of the Iranians"), the empire governed diverse populations across Iran and Mesopotamia, extending its influence into the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Arabia through military power, provincial administration, and alliances.
The Sasanians competed for centuries with the Roman and Byzantine empires over control of the Near East. Under Khosrow II (reign 590–628 CE), the Byzantine–Sasanian War (602–628) brought major conquests, including Jerusalem (614), Egypt (619–620), and temporary occupations in Anatolia. By c. 620, the empire approached its greatest territorial extent, but Byzantine counteroffensives under Byzantine emperoro Heraclius (reign 610–641) reversed these gains. Khosrow's overthrow in 628 led to peace, while subsequent political instability weakened the empire before the Arab conquests ended Sasanian rule in 651.
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Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2026, October 27). Map of the Sasanian Empire at Its Height, c. 620: Khosrow II and the Byzantine–Sasanian War, 602–628. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16853/map-of-the-sasanian-empire-at-its-height-c-620/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Sasanian Empire at Its Height, c. 620: Khosrow II and the Byzantine–Sasanian War, 602–628." World History Encyclopedia, October 27, 2026. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16853/map-of-the-sasanian-empire-at-its-height-c-620/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Sasanian Empire at Its Height, c. 620: Khosrow II and the Byzantine–Sasanian War, 602–628." World History Encyclopedia, 27 Oct 2026, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16853/map-of-the-sasanian-empire-at-its-height-c-620/.
