Middle East 3500 BCE & ANCIENT PERSIA

What is happening in Middle East in 3500BCE

Farming has been established for thousands of years in the Middle East, and in the river valleys of ancient Mesopotamia the first true civilization in world history of mankind is appearing, that of the Sumerians.

The Sumerians live in large communities of many thousands of people – the first cities. Along with many other advances they are developing the techniques of writing, on which most future human progress will depend.

A second civilization is also beginning to emerge, that of Ancient Egypt in the Nile Valley.

Next map: Middle East 2500 BCE

Read the full history of the Middle East

On the Steppes of Central Asia an important development for the entire history of the world is taking place. This is the domestication of the horse.

PERSIAN TIMELINE 

Persia Timeline

Search Results

• c. 1000 BCE

  Scythians migrate from Persia into the Asian steppes.
• 553 BCE

  Cyrus the Great successfully rebels against the Medes and establishes the AchaemenidEmpire of Persia.
• 546 BCE

  Persia controls Lycia.
• 539 BCE

  Fall of Babylon, conquered by Cyrus of Persia. Return of the Jews.
• 530 BCE

  Persia conquers the Indus Valley.
• 530 BCE - 522 BCE

  Reign of Cambyses II of Persia.
• 525 BCE - 404 BCE

  Persia conquers Egypt.
• 525 BCE

  Cambyses II of Persia takes the city of Pelusium, conquers Egypt.
• 525 BCE

  Cambyses II of Persia invades Egypt and uses Bastet's image to force Egyptian surrender at the Battle of Pelusium.
• 525 BCE - 522 BCE

  Cambyses II of Persia rules Egypt and leads campaign to Nubia.
• 522 BCE

  Darius I (Darius the Great) succeeds to the throne of Persia after the death of Cambyses II.
• 520 BCE

  Darius I of Persia fights the Scythians (not very successfully).
• 520 BCE

  Darius of Persia links the Nile and the Red Sea by a canal.
• c. 515 BCE

  Darius I moves the capital of Persia from Pasargadae to Persepolis.
• c. 513 BCE - c. 512 BCE

  Darius 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.
• 513 BCE

  Darius I of Persia invades Asia Minor, Miltiades becomes Persian vassal.
• 499 BCE

  Ionian Greek colonies of Asia Minor revolt against Persia; Miltiades supports them.
• 492 BCE

  Darius I of Persia invades Greece.
• 490 BCE

  Athens builds a treasury at Delphi following their victory at Marathon against Persia.
• 486 BCE

  Xerxes succeeds to the throne of Persia after the death of Darius I.
• 485 BCE - 465 BCE

  Reign of Xerxes I (the Great) of Persia.
• 485 BCE

  Babylon is destroyed by Xerxes, King of Persia.
• 480 BCE

  Thebes sides with Persia during Xerxes invasion of Greece.
• Sep 480 BCE

  Battle of Salamis where the Greek naval fleet led by Themistocles defeats the invading armada of Xerxes I of Persia.
• 479 BCE

  Xerxes' Persian forces are defeated by Greek forces at Plataea effectively ending Persia's imperial ambitions in Greece.
• 478 BCE

  Sparta withdraws from alliance against Persia.
• 449 BCE - 448 BCE

  Peace between Greece and Persia.
• 448 BCE

  Ionian cities become independent from Persia.
• 448 BCE

  The Peace of Callias with Persia.
• 412 BCE

  Sparta allies with Persia.
• 401 BCE

  Retreat from Persia of Xenophon and the ten thousand mercenaries.
• c. 380 BCE - 330 BCE

  Life of Darius III of Persia.
• 5 Nov 333 BCE

  Battle of Issus. Alexander is victorious against Darius III of Persia.
• 331 BCE - 323 BCE

  Jordan taken by Alexander the Great in his conquest of Persia.
• 330 BCE

  Death of Darius III and end of the Achaemenid Empire of Persia.
• c. 317 BCE

  Demetrius I commands his father’s cavalry units at the battles of Paraetacene and Gabiene in Persia.
• 224 CE - 240 CE

  Reign of Ardashir I, who reformed the Persia by centralizing power, making Zoroastrianism state religion, and rivalling Rome.
• c. 387 CE

  Roman emperor Theodosius I and Shapur III of Persia agree to formally divide Armenia between the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and the Sasanian Empire.
• c. 428 CE - 652 CE

  Persia rules one half of Armenia as the Marzpanate, that is with marzpan viceroys.
• 484 CE

  The Treaty of Nvarsak is signed between Persia and Armenia giving the latter a greater political autonomy and freedom of religious thought.
• 505 CE - 507 CE

  Byzantine emperor Anastasios I builds a new fortress at Anastasiopolis (Dara) on the frontier with Persia.
• 562 CE

  Artashat in Armenia is confirmed as an official trading post between Persia and the Byzantine Empire.
• 607 CE - 627 CE

  East Rome defeats Sasanian Persia.

The term “Persian civilization” can refer to two distinct, but closely related cultural entities, Pre-Islamic Persian civilization and Islamic Persian civilization. This series of articles deals with Pre-Islamic Persian civilization.

This in turn falls into two main periods: first, that of the great Persian empire of the Achaemenid kings (c. 550 BCE to c. 330 BCE); and second, that of the Parthian and Sasanian empires (c. 140 BCE to c. 640 CE). These two periods are punctuated by the Greek-Macedonian occupation of Iran under Alexander the Greatand his successors.

This article deals with the society and culture of the great Persian empire which was founded by Cyrus the Great in the 540s and 530s BCE, and was conquered by Alexander the Great two centuries later. For the government and politics of this empire, see the article The Persian Empire: The State.