Timeline of the Achaemenid Persians
750 BC: Persian tribes migrate to Iran from Asia.
675-640 BC: The Persians settle in Persis under King Teispes.
559-530 BC: Reign of Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great)
553 BC: Cyrus the Great rebels against the Medes and establishes the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
(c) Renato de Carvalho Ferreira 547 BC: Cyrus conquers Anatolia and Phrygia becomes a Persian satrapy.
546 BC: Persia occupies Cyprus.
539 BC: Cyrus conquers Babylon.
530 BC: Persia conquers the Indus Valley.
530-522 BC: Reign of Cambyses II.
(c) Ali Zifan 525-404 BC: Persia conquers Egypt.
522-486 BC: Reign of Darius I (Darius the Great)
522 BC: Darius I succeeds to the throne and Armenia briefly secedes but is brought back under Persian control.
520 BC: Darius I fights the Scythians.
c. 515 BC: Darius I moves the capital from Pasargadae to Persepolis.
(c) Hamidhassas c. 513-512 BC: Darius I campaigns against Scythians across the Danube but is forced to retreat due to lack of supplies.
c. 499 BC: Naxos is attacked by Persian forces.
499-493 BC: The Ionian cities rebel against Persian rule.
(c) Eric Gaba c. 498 BC: The Ionians and their Greek allies invade and burn Sardis.
492 BC: Darius I invades Greece.
490 BC: Rhodes comes under Persian rule and Naxos is attacked again.
11 September 490 BC: Battle of Marathon: The Greek hoplites defeat the Persians.
486-465 BC: Reign of Xerxes I.
485 BC: Babylon is destroyed by Xerxes
480 BC: The Persians destroy the sanctuary at Sounion, sack Athens and attack the sanctuary of Delphi.
480 BC: Xerxes invades mainland Greece.
(c) Bibi Saint-Pol - July: Preparations.
- August: Battle of Artemision: The Greek and Persian fleets clash.
- August: Battle of Thermopylae: The 300 Spartans and other Greeks hold back the Persians.
- September: Battle of Salamis: The Greek fleet defeats the Persians.
479 BC: The Persians are defeated at the Battle of Plataea, ending their invasion of Greece.
478 BC: Sparta withdraws from the alliance against Persia.
c. 478 BC: Xerxes builds the Gate of All Nations, the Hall of 100 Columns, and the grand Palace of Xerxes.
(c) Alborzagros 465-424 BC: Reign of Artaxerxes I.
c. 449 BC: Peace agreed between Athens and Persia (Peace of Callias), which allows the Ionian cities to be independent of Persia.
424-423 BC: Brief reigns of Xerxes II and Sogdianus.
423-405 BC: Reign of Darius II.
412 BC: Sparta allies with Persia.
405-358 BC: Reign of Artaxerxes II.
401 BC: Retreat from Persia of Xenophon and the ten thousand mercenaries.
358-338 BC: Reign of Artaxerxes III.
341 BC: The Persians complete the conquest of Egypt.
338-336 BC: Reign of Artaxerxes IV.
336-330 BC: Reign of Darius III, the last king of the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
May 334 BC: Alexander the Great invades the Achaemenid Persian Empire.
5 November 333 BC: Battle of Issus: Alexander the Great defeats Darius III.
331 BC: Egypt is conquered by Alexander the Great.
1 October 331 BC: Battle of Gaugamela: Alexander the Great defeats Darius III again.
330 BC: The Achaemenid Persian Empire falls to Alexander the Great and Darius is murdered by his own satrap.
Digital Maps of the Ancient World 