Persian Warfare Timeline

Median army organized during the reign of Cyaxares of the Medes.

Achaemenid Army organized under Cyrus the Great of Persia based on Cyaxares' model.

The Achaemenid Persian military is expanded and refined under the reign of Darius I the Great.

Achaemenid Persian military expanded further under the reign of Xerxes I.

Under the Parthian Empire, cavalry becomes the dominant force of the military in the region.

Reign of Ardashir I who founds Sassanian Empire and reorganizes the military drawing on all the models of the past and present.

Under the Sassanian Empire, the Persian military becomes the greatest fighting force in the ancient world, repeatedly defeating Roman Empire.

Sassanian Empire falls to invading Muslim Arabs; Persian army and navy are disbanded.