=Median Dynasty=

*Deioces 728-675 BC
*Phraortes 675-653 BC
*Madius the Scythian 653-625 BC
*Cyaxares 625-585 BC
*Astyages 585-550 BC

The Medes were an Iranian people. The Persians, a closely related and subject people, revolted against the Median empire during the 6th century BC.

Achaemenid dynasty

*Achaemenes, founder of the dynasty.
*Teispes of Anshan, his son.
*Cyrus I of Anshan, his son.
*Ariaramnes of Persia, son of Teispes and co-ruler of Cyrus I.
*Cambyses I of Anshan, son of Cyrus I.
*Arsames of Persia, son of Ariaramnes and co-ruler of Cambyses I
*Cyrus II the Great, son of Cambyses I, ruled from c.550 - 530 BC.
*Cambyses II, his son, ruled 530 - 521 BC.
*Smerdis, his alleged brother, ruled 521 BC
*Darius the Great, his brother-in-law and grandson of Arsames, ruled 521 -486 BC.
*Xerxes I, his son, ruled 486 -465 BC
*Artaxerxes I, his son, ruled 464 - 424 BC.
*Xerxes II, his son, ruled 424 - 423 BC.
*Sogdianus, his half-brother and rival, ruled 424 - 423 BC.
*Darius II, his half-brother and rival, ruled 424 - 404 BC.
*Artaxerxes II, his son, ruled 404 - 358 BC (see also Xenophon).
*Artaxerxes III,his son, ruled 358 - 338 BC
*Arses, his son, ruled 338 - 336 BC
*Darius III Codomannus, great-grandson of Darius II, ruled 336 -330 BC

The epigraphic evidence for the rulers before Cyrus the Great is highly suspect, and often considered to have been invented by Darius I.

Argead Dynasty

*Alexander the Great (330 BC-323 BC)
*Philip III Arrihadeus (323 BC-317 BC)
*Alexander IV (323 BC-310 BC)

Seleucid dynasty

*Seleucus I Nicator (312 BC/305 BC-281 BC)
*Antiochus I Soter (co-ruler from 291, ruled 281-261 BC)
*Antiochus II Theos (261-246 BC)
*Seleucus II Callinicus (246-225 BC)
*Seleucus III Ceraunus (225-223 BC)
*Antiochus III the Great (223-187 BC)
*Seleucus IV Philopator (187-175 BC)
*Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC)

(The Seleucid Dynasty gradually lost control of Persia. In 253 BC, the Arsacid Dynasty established itself in Parthia. The Parthians gradually expanded their control, until by the mid 2nd Century BC, the Seleucids had completely lost control of Persia. There were more Seleucid rulers of Syria and, for a time, Babylonia, after Antiochus IV, but none had any effective power in Persia).

Parthian dynasty

Sassanid dynasty, 224-651

*Ardashir I from 224 to 241.
*Shapur I from 241 to 272
*Hormizd I from 272 to 273.
*Bahram I from 273 to 276.
*Bahram II from 276 to 293.
*Bahram III year 293.
*Narseh from 293 to 302.
*Hormizd II from 302 to 310.
*Shapur II from 310 to 379
*Ardashir II from 379 to 383.
*Shapur III from 383 to 388.
*Bahram IV from 388 to 399.
*Yazdegerd I from 399 to 420.
*Bahram V from 420 to 438.
*Yazdegerd II from 438 to 457.
*Hormizd III from 457 to 459.
*Peroz I from 457 to 484.
*Balash from 484 to 488.
*Kavadh I from 488 to 531.
**Djamasp from 496 to 498.
*Khosrau I from 531 to 579.
*Hormizd IV from 579 to 590.
*Khosrau II from 590 to 628.
**Bahram VI from 590 to 591.
**Bistam from 591 to 592.
**Hormizd V year 593.
*Kavadh II year 628.
*Ardashir III from 628 to 630.
**Peroz II year 629.
*Shahrbaraz year 630.
*Boran and others from 630 to 631.
*Hormizd VI (or V) from 631 to 632.
*Yazdegerd III from 632 to 651.

Religious figures

*Mani
*Mazdak
*Zarathustra