Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

• World Regions

  All regions

  Select a region

  • North America
  • Europe
  • Central and North Asia
  • East Asia
  • Central America
  • South America
  • Africa
  • West Asia
  • Oceania
  • South and Southeast Asia

  Select a time period

  • 8000–2000 B.C.
  • 2000–1000 B.C.
  • 1000 B.C.–1 A.D.
  • 1–500 A.D.
  • 500–1000 A.D.
  • 1000–1400 A.D.
  • 1400–1600 A.D.
  • 1600–1800 A.D.
  • 1800–1900 A.D.
  • 1900 A.D.–Present
• Timelines

  by Time Period 8,000–2,000 b.c. 2,000–1,000 b.c. 1,000 b.c.–1 a.d. 1–500 a.d. 500–1,000 a.d. 1,000–1400 a.d. 1400–1600 a.d. 1600–1800 a.d. 1800–1900 a.d. 1900 a.d.–present

  by Geographical Region Africa   Central America   Central and North Asia   East Asia   Europe   North America   Oceania   South America   South and Southeast Asia  West Asia

• Thematic Essays
  • Recent Additions  |  All Thematic Essays
  • 
    Select a Thematic Category African Art American Art Ancient Near Eastern Art Art of the Americas Asian Art Byzantine Art Egyptian Art European Art Greek and Roman Art Islamic Art Medieval Art Modern and Contemporary Art Oceanic/Pacific Art Prehistory Select a Department American Decorative Arts American Paintings and Sculpture Ancient Near Eastern Art Arms and Armor Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas Asian Art The Costume Institute Drawings and Prints Education Egyptian Art European Paintings European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Greek and Roman Art Islamic Art The Libraries Medieval Art and The Cloisters Musical Instruments Nineteenth-Century, Modern, and Contemporary Art Objects Conservation Paintings Conservation Paper Conservation Photographs Robert Lehman Collection Scientific Research Textile Conservation

    ---

  • Select a Geographical Region Africa Central America Central and North Asia East Asia Europe North America Oceania South America South and Southeast Asia West Asia All Geographical Regions Select a Time Period 20,000–8000 B.C. 8000–2000 B.C. 2000–1000 B.C. 1000 B.C.–1 A.D. 1–500 A.D. 500–1000 A.D. 1000–1400 A.D. 1400–1600 A.D. 1600–1800 A.D. 1800–1900 A.D. 1900 A.D.–Present All Time Periods
    
• Works of Art
  Recent Additions
  
  

  Title Description
  Artist
  Material and Technique
  Credit Line
  Accession Number

• Index

  Artist (A–Z) | All Artists

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

  ---

  Subject (A–Z)

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • M
  • N
  • O
  • P
  • Q
  • R
  • S
  • T
  • U
  • V
  • W
  • X
  • Y
  • Z

The Sasanian Empire (224–651 a.d.)

• 

  Plate with a hunting scene from the tale of Bahram Gur and Azadeh, 5th century; Sasanian period
  Iran
  Silver, mercury gilding; Diam. 7.9 in. (20.1 cm)
  Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1994 (1994.402)

• 
  Faceted Bowl, 5th–7th century; Sasanian
  Iran (?)
  Glass, blown and wheel-cut; H. 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm)
  Rogers Fund, 1959 (59.34)
  
• 
  Head of a king, 4th century; Sasanian period
  Iran
  Gilded silver; H. 15 3/4 in. (40 cm)
  Fletcher Fund, 1965 (65.126)
  
• 
  Plate with king hunting rams, late 5th–early 6th century; Sasanian period
  Iran
  Silver, mercury gilding, niello inlay; H. 1 7/8 in. (4.6 cm), Diam. 8 5/8 in. (21.9 cm)
  Fletcher Fund, 1934 (34.33)
  
• 
  Ewer with dancing females within arcades, 6th century; Sasanian style
  Iran
  Silver, mercury gilding; H. (a) 13.4 in. (34 cm)
  Purchase, Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Dillon Gift and Rogers Fund, 1967 (67.10a,b)
  

View SlideshowView Thumbnails

Around 224 A.D., Ardashir I, a descendant of Sasan who gave his name to the new Sasanian dynasty, defeated the Parthians. The Sasanians saw themselves as the successors of the Achaemenid Persians. One of the most energetic and able Sasanian rulers was Shapur I (r. 241–72 A.D.). During his reign, the central government was strengthened, the coinage was reformed, and Zoroastrianism was made the state religion. The expansion of Sasanian power in the west brought conflict with Rome. In 260 A.D., Shapur took prisoner the emperor Valerian in a battle near Edessa. Thereafter the defense of Rome's eastern frontier was left to the ruler of Palmyra, a caravan city in Syria. By the end of Shapur I’s reign, the Sasanian empire stretched from the River Euphrates to the River Indus and included modern-day Armenia and Georgia. After a short period during which much territory was lost, Sasanian fortunes were restored during the long reign of Shapur II (r. 310–79 A.D.). He reestablished control over the Kushans in the east and campaigned in the desert against the Arabs. Conflict with Rome resulted once again in Sasanian control of northern Mesopotamia and Armenia. During the fifth century, tribal movements in Central Asia resulted in Hephthalite Huns creating an extensive empire centered on Afghanistan. After a disastrous campaign, the Sasanians were forced to pay tribute to their new eastern neighbors. Iran recovered her glory during the reign of Khosrow I (r. 531–79 A.D), who defeated the Hephthalites. However, in the years following Khosrow's death, there were internal revolts and wars with the Byzantine empire. This weakened Iran, and Arab forces, united under Islam, defeated the Sasanian armies in 642. The last Sasanian ruler, Yazdegerd III, died in 651.

After a disastrous campaign, the Sasanians were forced to pay tribute to their new eastern neighbors.

Related

Timelines (10)

• Anatolia and the Caucasus, 500–1000 a.d.
• Arabian Peninsula, 1–500 a.d.
• Arabian Peninsula, 500–1000 a.d.
• Asia Minor (Anatolia and the Caucasus), 1–500 a.d.
• Iran, 1–500 a.d.
• Iran, 500–1000 a.d.
• Iraq (Mesopotamia) 500–1000 a.d.
• Mesopotamia, 1–500 a.d.
• The Eastern Mediterranean, 1–500 a.d.
• The Eastern Mediterranean, 500–1000 a.d.

Primary Thematic Essays (4)

• Kushan Empire (ca. 2nd century B.C.–3rd century A.D.)
• Palmyra
• The Parthian Empire (247 B.C.
• The Roman Empire (27 B.C.–393 A.D.)

Other Thematic Essays (8)

• Gandhara
• Islamic Arms and Armor
• List of Rulers of Mesopotamia
• Luxury Arts of Rome
• Modern Art in West and East Pakistan
• Nineteenth-century Iran: Continuity and Revivalism
• The Metropolitan Museum's Excavations at Nishapur
• The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp

Maps (3)

• West Asia Regional, 1-500 A.D.
• West Asia Regional, 500-1000 A.D.
• World, 1-500 A.D.

Index Terms (16)

Art Movement/Style

• Achaemenid Persian Empire of the Ancient Near East
• Sasanian Empire of the Ancient Near East
• Yuan Dynasty of China
• Late Imperial Art in Ancient Rome
• Mid–Imperial Art in Ancient Rome

Geography/Place

• Central and North Asia
• Rome (Ancient)
• Anatolia and the Caucasus
• Iran

Material and Technique

• Silver plate
• Silver from Central and North Asia

Subject Matter/Theme

• Archaeology from Asia
• Warrior
• Vessel with Floral Motif
• Persian Poetry
• Trade (1–500 a.d.)

Share

| More

Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Citation Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art. "The Sasanian Empire (224–651 A.D.)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/sass/hd_sass.htm (October 2003) Further Reading Herrmann, Georgina The Iranian Revival. Oxford: Elsevier-Phaedon, 1977. Yarshater, Ehsan, ed. The Cambridge History of Iran Volume 3: The Seleucid, Parthian and Sasanian Periods. 2 vols.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. Related exhibitions and online features Special Exhibitions (including upcoming, current, and past exhibitions)

These related Museum Bulletin or Journal articles may or may not represent the most current scholarship. Harper, Prudence Oliver "The Heavenly Twins." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 23, no. 5 (January, 1965). . JSTOR | PDF | Supplemental PDFs "Notes" PDF Grancsay, Stephen V. "A Sasanian Chieftain's Helmet." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 21, no. 8 (April, 1963). JSTOR | PDF Harper, Prudence Oliver "The Senmurv." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 20, no. 3 (November, 1961). JSTOR | PDF Wilkinson, Charles Kyrle "The First Millennium B.C. [Art of the Ancient Near East]." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, New ser., v. 18, no. 8 (April, 1960). JSTOR | PDF