The Persian Empire That Terrified Rome: The Complete Sasanian History (224–651 CE)

Welcome to Episode 4 of our complete history of Greater Iran! In this episode, we explore the dramatic rise and catastrophic fall of the Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE). For 400 years, the House of Sasan ruled as the undisputed Kings of Kings, forging a powerful, centralized Zoroastrian state that became the ultimate rival to the Roman and Byzantine Empires in the West. But Rome was only half the story. Less talked about, are the grueling, centuries-long wars fought on Persia's eastern frontier against relentless waves of nomadic powers, from the Kushans and Kidarites to the terrifying Hephthalites (White Huns) and the Göktürks. From the religious revolution of Mazdak to the golden age of Khosrow Anushirvan, and finally to the devastating Arab conquests at al-Qadisiyyah, this is the story of the last true empire of ancient antiquity. If you enjoyed this, consider subscribing for the next episode (Early Islamic Iran). Catch up on the series: Episode 1: Before Persia (Prehistory to 1000 BCE) - https://youtu.be/38RwZ02D-p8 Episode 2: The Median & Achaemenid Empires - https://youtu.be/my4_FOXzcUM Episode 3: Greek & Parthian Iran - https://youtu.be/AfXf49AGUns #PersianHistory #AncientHistory #History #lateantiquity #iranhistory Become a member to help out the channel and keep the project alive (not to mention early access)! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFn4wt14ytUbngBJp8SsWKQ/join All images used with CC license.