Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
53 BC
Parthian armies rout the Romans at Carrhae. Those Roman soldiers fortunate enough
to survive report the Parthians fought under dazzlingly bright flags. It is Europe's first
glimpse of silk.
AD 25
Parthian emissaries deliver lions to the court of the Han dynasty in China. These are
believed to be the inspiration for the lion dancing still seen at Chinese New Year.
224
Ardashir Babakan overcomes local rivals to challenge and defeat the Parthian king Art-
abanus V, and seize control of Parthian territories. He establishes the Sassanid capital
at Firuz Abad.
241-272
Shapur I succeeds Ardeshir and expands Sassanid hegemony to include Bactria. He
famously defeats the Romans at Edessa in 260, where emperor Valerian is captured on
the battlefield.
c 250
The Sassanid state religion was Zoroastrianism and other faiths were not allowed.
However Shapur I was interested in the philosophy of Mani (216-276), which went on
to become Manichaeism.
387
The Persian and Byzantine empires solve their long-running dispute over control of
Armenia by carving it up; it was one of the first (and ultimately unsuccessful) ex-
amples of partition.
529
One of history's first socialists, Mazdak, wins a huge following preaching that nobles
should share their wealth and women with the masses. After a noble revolt he is assas-
sinated.
