ancient Iran

Introduction
The Elamites, Medians, and Achaemenids
- The prehistoric period
  - The Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age)
  - The Neolithic Period (New Stone Age)
  - The 5th to mid-3rd millennia
  - The late 3rd and 2nd millennia
- The Elamites
  - The Old Elamite period
  - The Middle Elamite period
  - The Neo-Elamite period
- The protohistoric period and the kingdom of the Medes
  - The coming of the Iranians
  - The kingdom of the Medes
  - The rise of the Persians under Cyrus II
- The Achaemenid dynasty
  - Cambyses
  - Darius I
  - Xerxes I
  - Artaxerxes I to Darius III
- Achaemenid society and culture
  - Language
  - Social organization
  - Religion
  - Art
- The organization and achievement of the Achaemenid Empire
The Hellenistic and Parthian periods
- Alexander and his successors
  - The nobles and the nomads
  - The Seleucids
  - The movement of Iranian peoples
  - Revolt of the high satrapies
- The rise of the Parthians
  - Invasion of the Parni
  - Formation of the Parthian state
  - Arsaces
  - Artabanus I
  - Phraates I
- The “phil-Hellenistic” period (c. 171 bce–12 ce)
  - Mithradates I
  - Phraates II
  - Mithradates II
  - Wars with Rome
  - Settlement with Rome
- The “anti-Hellenistic” period (12–162 bce)
  - Artabanus III
  - Dissolution of the Parthian state
  - Peace with Rome
- The end of the Parthian empire (162–226)
The Sasanian period
- Foundation of the empire
  - Rise of Ardashīr I
  - Wars of Shāpūr I
  - Organization of the empire
- Religious developments
  - Zoroastrianism
  - Christianity
  - Manichaeism
- Art and literature
- Foreign policy
  - Conflicts with Rome
  - Intermittent conflicts from Yazdegerd I to Khosrow I
  - Conflicts with the Turks and Byzantium
  - Triumph of the Arabs
Persian dynasties

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

Map showing the extent of the Achaemenid Empire during the 6th and 5th centuries BC, shaded in light green and spanning from the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt through the Middle East to parts of Central Asia and the Indus Valley. Major regions, cities, and trade routes such as the Royal Road are labeled within the empire's boundaries.

Persepolis, Iran: sculpture

Map showing the Parthian Empire at its greatest extent in the 1st century BCE, shaded in green and covering much of present-day Iran, Iraq, and surrounding regions. Major ancient cities, trade routes, rivers, and neighboring territories such as Mesopotamia, Media, Persis, Sogdiana, and Armenia are labeled. The map also shows nearby bodies of water including the Caspian Sea, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea.

Map showing the extent of the Sasanian Empire during the reign of Shapur I, shaded in green. The empire covers parts of present-day Iran, Iraq, the Persian Gulf coast, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and extends westward toward the Eastern Roman Empire, with major regions and cities labeled throughout the territory.

Ancient rock relief at Naqsh-e Rustam, Iran, depicting the surrender of Roman emperor Valerian to Persian king Shapur, with Shapur on horseback and Valerian kneeling before him.

Related Questions

ancient Iran

historical region, Asia

Written by

T. Cuyler YoungAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 3, 2026 •History

ancient Iran, historic region of southwestern Asia that is only roughly coterminous with modern Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries, chiefly in the West, to designate those regions where Persian language and culture predominated, but it more correctly refers to a region of southern Iran formerly known as Persis, alternatively as Pārs or Parsa, modern Fars. Parsa was the name of an Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into the region about 1000 bce....

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