c. 900–609:
Neo-Assyrian Empire
830s:
Earliest references to Persians in written texts (the annals of the Assyrian king Shalmaneser III)
c. 640:
Cyrus, King of Parsumash, pays obeisance to Ashurbanipal, King of Assyria
c. 640–550:
Height of Median power
c. 626–539:
Neo-Babylonian Empire
612:
Sack of Nineveh and fall of Assyria (until 609)
550:
Cyrus the Great defeats Astyages, King of the Medes
540s:
Cyrus conquers Lydia
539:
Cyrus conquers Babylonia
530:
Death of Cyrus in battle and succession of Cambyses
530s?–510s:
Main construction at Pasargadae
525–522:
Cambyses invades Egypt
522:
Death of Cambyses in April; reign of Bardiya (6 months) and usurpation of Darius I
520–519:
Engraving of Bisitun relief and inscription
510s:
Founding of Persepolis
510s:
Darius I’s campaigns into Europe (Scythians) and India
499–493:
Ionian revolt
490:
Battle of Marathon
486:
Death of Darius I and accession of Xerxes; revolt in Egypt
484:
Revolt in Babylonia
480–479:
Xerxes’ invasion of Greece
465:
Assassination of Xerxes and accession of Artaxerxes I
464/463–454:
Egyptian revolt
424:
Death of Artaxerxes I; accession and assassination of Xerxes II
423:
Accession of Darius II
408:
Cyrus the Younger dispatched to Anatolia with a special command
405:
Death of Darius II; accession of Artaxerxes II
401:
War of the Brothers: Cyrus the Younger revolts against Artaxerxes II, Battle of Cunaxa
401–343/342:
Egypt in revolt and effectively outside of Achaemenid control
387/386:
King’s Peace (Peace of Antalcidas) imposed upon Greece
359:
Death of Artaxerxes II and accession of Artaxerxes III
343/342:
Artaxerxes III’s reconquest of Egypt
338:
Death of Artaxerxes III and accession of Artaxerxes IV (Arses)
336:
Artaxerxes IV assassinated; accession of Darius III
334:
Alexander, King of Macedon, invades the Persian Empire; Battle of Granicus
333:
Battle of Issus; much of Darius III’s family captured at Damascus
331:
Battle of Gaugamela; Alexander welcomed into Babylon and Susa, invades Fars
330:
End of Empire: Burning of Persepolis terrace and death of Darius III
320s:
Alexander campaigns in eastern Iran and India, adding the eastern domains of the Achaemenid Empire and consolidating his conquests; Alexander dies in 323 in Babylon