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Conflict Middle East

Early Sassanid–Roman Wars

224 CE – 260 CE · 36 years

The aggressive Sassanid dynasty overthrew Parthia and launched devastating invasions of Rome. Shapur I sacked Antioch and captured Emperor Valerian at Edessa in 260 AD — the first time a Roman emperor was taken prisoner.

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Belligerents

The main peoples, kingdoms and states involved.

  • Sassanid Empire
  • Roman Empire

Key moments

Defining events in the Early Sassanid–Roman Wars.

  1. 224 Battle of Hormozdgan
  2. 244 Battle of Misiche
  3. 260 Battle of Edessa

Elsewhere in Middle East at the time

Records whose own span overlaps this one, found by the same test the canvas draws with. The bar under each card is where it sits inside this one.

See the whole view

Landmark · Middle East

Great Pyramid of Giza

2560 BCE – still standing

Polity · Middle East

Atropatene

323 BCE – 226 CE

Trade route · Middle East

Mediterranean Southern Route

331 BCE – 1500 CE

Landmark · Middle East

Petra

300 BCE – still standing

Polity · Middle East

Meroe

Attested 500 BCE – 400 CE

Trade route · Middle East

Maritime Silk Road – Red Sea Branch

200 BCE – 1500 CE

Landmark · Middle East

Dead Sea

3000 BCE – still standing

Polity · Middle East

Egypt

Attested 3000 BCE – 2026 CE

Dated moments inside this span

Events the timeline places between 224 CE and 260 CE.

226 CE Palenque 229 CE Nanjing 235 CE Crisis of the Third Century 260 CE Sassanid-Roman Wars of the 3rd Century

And in the rest of the world

Records running through the same years, on the other side of the map.

Palenque Landmark · Americas 226 CE – still standing Vakataka Polity · South Asia 250 CE – 500 CE Mesoamerican Trade Network Trade route · Americas 1200 BCE – 1521 CE Crisis of the Third Century Conflict · Europe 235 CE – 284 CE Nagarjuna Figure · South India 150 CE – 250 CE Grand Canyon Landmark · Americas 3000 BCE – still standing
Image credits6 pictures from Wikimedia Commons