East of the Zagros Mountains, a high plateau stretches off towards India. While Egypt was rising up against the Hyksos, a wave of pastoral tribes from north of the Caspian Sea was drifting down into this area and across into India. By the time the Assyrians had built their new empire, a second wave had covered the whole stretch between the Zagros and the Hindu Kush. Some tribes settled, others retained their semi-nomadic lifestyle. These were the Iranian peoples.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 7200 BCEElamite community of Chogha Bonut established.
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4395 BCECity of Susa founded in region of ancient Persia.
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c. 3000 BCEAryan tribes of Indo-Iranians migrate to the region, among them are Persians.
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c. 1500 BCE - c. 1000 BCEDevelopment of the religion of Zoroastrianism in region of ancient Persia.
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c. 1000 BCEScythians migrate from Persia into the Asian steppes.
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850 BCEMedes migrate into Iran from Asia.
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750 BCEPersians migrate into Iran from Asia.
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727 BCE - 675 BCEMedes unite during the reign of their king Dayukku (aka Deioces).
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675 BCE - 640 BCEPersians settle in Persis during the reign of their king Teispes.
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628 BCE - 551 BCELife of Zoroaster, according to Pahlavi sources.
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553 BCECyrus the Great successfully rebels against the Medes and establishes the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.
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c. 550 BCECyrus the Great of Persia founds the Achaemenid Empire.
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c. 550 BCE - 330 BCEThe Persian Achaemenid Empire reigns over Central Asia, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, and Egypt.
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547 BCEAnatolia conquered by the Persians. Ephesos remains neutral.
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547 BCEPhrygia becomes a Satrapy of the Persian empire.
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546 BCEThe Persians occupy Cyprus, being invited by Cypriot leaders.
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539 BCEFall of Babylon, conquered by Cyrus of Persia. Return of the Jews.
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c. 539 BCECyrus the Great conquers Babylon; the Fertile Crescent is controlled by the Achaemenid Empire (The First Persian Empire).
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530 BCEPersia conquers the Indus Valley.
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530 BCE - 522 BCEReign of Cambyses II of Persia.
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525 BCE - 404 BCEPersia conquers Egypt.
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522 BCEDarius I (Darius the Great) succeeds to the throne of Persia after the death of Cambyses II.
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522 BCEThe Persian satrapy of Armenia briefly cedes from the Achaemenid Empire but is brought under control by Darius I.
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c. 520 BCE - c. 325 CEAchaemenid rule in the Gandhara region.
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520 BCEDarius I of Persia fights the Scythians (not very successfully).
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c. 515 BCEDarius I moves the capital of Persia from Pasargadae to Persepolis.
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c. 513 BCE - c. 512 BCEDarius I of Persia campaigns against Scythians into European Scythia, past the Danube River, Scythians refuse to fight and Darius is forced to abandon the campaign due to lack of provisions.
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c. 499 BCENaxos is attacked by Darius' Persian forces.
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499 BCE - 493 BCEIonian cities rebel against Persian rule.
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c. 498 BCEIonians and Greek allies invade and burn Sardis (capital of Lydia).
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492 BCEDarius I of Persia invades Greece.
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490 BCERhodes comes under Persian rule.
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490 BCENaxos is attacked for a second time by Persian forces.
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11 Sep 490 BCEA combined force of Greek hoplites defeat the Persians at Marathon.
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486 BCEXerxes succeeds to the throne of Persia after the death of Darius I.
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485 BCE - 465 BCEReign of Xerxes I (the Great) of Persia.
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485 BCEBabylon is destroyed by Xerxes, King of Persia.
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480 BCEPersians destroy the sanctuary at Sounion.
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480 BCESack of Athens by the Persians under Xerxes. The Agora is destroyed.
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480 BCEPersian forces attack the sanctuary of Delphi.
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Jul 480 BCEXerxes I makes extensive preparations to invade mainland Greece by building depots, canals and a boat bridge across the Hellespont.
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Aug 480 BCEThe indecisive battle of Artemision between the Greek and Persian fleets of Xerxes I. The Greeks withdraw to Salamis.
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Aug 480 BCEBattle of Thermopylae. 300 Spartans under King Leonidas and other Greek allies hold back the Persians led by Xerxes I for three days but are defeated.
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Sep 480 BCEBattle of Salamis where the Greek naval fleet led by Themistocles defeats the invading armada of Xerxes I of Persia.
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479 BCEXerxes' Persian forces are defeated by Greek forces at Plataea effectively ending Persia's imperial ambitions in Greece.
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478 BCESparta withdraws from alliance against Persia.
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c. 478 BCEXerxes I builds the Gate of All Nations, the Hall of 100 Columns and the grand Palace of Xerxes.
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c. 449 BCEPeace is agreed on by Athens and Persia, sometimes referred to as the Peace of Callias.
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c. 449 BCEIonian cities become independent from Persia under the Peace of Callias.
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412 BCESparta allies with Persia.
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401 BCERetreat from Persia of Xenophon and the ten thousand mercenaries.
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c. 380 BCE - 330 BCELife of Darius III of Persia.
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341 BCEThe Persians complete conquest of Egypt.
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c. 336 BCEArtaxerxes III builds the Hall of 32 Columns, the Palace of Artaxerxes and the Unfinished Gate.
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May 334 BCEAlexander the Great invades the Persian Achaemenid Empire.
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5 Nov 333 BCEBattle of Issus. Alexander the Great is victorious against Darius III of Persia.
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331 BCEEgypt is conquered by Alexander the Great without resistance.
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1 Oct 331 BCEBattle of Gaugamela. Alexander the Great calls himself "King of Asia."
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330 BCEPersian Achaemenid Empire falls to Alexander the Great.
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330 BCEDeath of Darius III and end of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.
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May 330 BCEPersepolis is burned and looted by Alexander the Great.
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Jan 329 BCE - May 327 BCEAlexander conquers Bactria and Sogdiana.
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312 BCE - 63 BCEThe Seleucid Empire replaces the Achaemenid Empire.
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247 BCE - 224 BCEParthia replaces the Seleucid Empire.
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247 BCE - 224 CEEmpire of the Parthians.
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63 BCEThe Roman general Pompey defeats the Seleucid Antiochus XIII and incorporates Syria as a province of the Roman empire.
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224 CE - 651 CEThe Sassanian Empire replaces the Parthian Empire.
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224 CEZoroastrianism becomes Persian state religion under the Sassanian Empire.
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224 CESasanians overthrow the Parthians.
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240 CE - 270 CEReign of Shapur I, who first brought the Sassanian empire to its peak.
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260 CEShapur I captures the Roman emperor Valerian at Edessa.
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607 CE - 627 CEEast Rome defeats Sasanian Persia.
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651 CESassanian Empire conquered during the Muslim Arab invasion of the 7th century CE.