All dates are AD (CE)
| 205 -224 | Pabag and sons Shapur and Ardashir conquer Persis and Elymais |
| 224-241 | Ardashir I - Sasanians occupy all Parthian teritory exxcept Armenia. First challenges to Roman rule in Mesopotamia west of Euphrates. |
| 241-272 | Shapur I - Defeat of 3 Roman emperors: Gordian III killed, Philip the Arab surrenders, Valerian is captured. Conquest of Armenia, and expansion into Syria. Defeat of Odaenathus of Palmyra. |
| 272-273 | Hurmazd I |
| 273-276 | Bahram I |
| 276-293 | Bahram II Rise of mowbed Kerdir; death of Mani |
| 293 | Bahram III |
| 293-302 | Narseh - Treaty of Nisibis. Sasanians give up teritory west of Tigris to Romans |
| 302-309 | Hurmazd II |
| 309-379 | Shapur II - Territory lost to Romans regained. Failure of Julian's invasion, and peace with Jovian. Persecution of Christians following conversion of emperor Constantine. |
| 379-383 | Ardashir II |
| 383-388 | Shapur III Sasanians regain eastern Armenia. |
| 388-399 | Bahram IV |
| 399-420 | Yazdegird I - beginning of Hephthalite invasions |
| 420-438 | Bahram V |
| 438-457 | Yazdegird II |
| 457-459 | Hurmazd III |
| 457-484 | Peroz I - crushing defeats by Hephthalites. Church of the East becomes independent. |
| 484-488 | Balash |
| 488-496 | Kavad I - Failure of social reforms leads to Kavad's imprisonment. |
| 496-498 | Jamasp |
| 498-531 | Kavad I - cadastral survey of land and reform of taxation leads to popular discontent encouraged by communist Mazdak. |
| 531-579 | Khusrau I - crushing of Mazdak and his followers. Renewed attack on Roman Syria. Destruction of Hephthalites with Turkish help. Peace with Byzantium - who agreesto pay tribute to Khusrau. Conquest of Yemen and defeat of Ethiopians. |
| 579-590 | Hurmazd IV - social unrest. Invasion by Turks. |
| 590-591 | Bahram VI Chobin - non-Sasanian pretender defeated with Roman help |
| 591-628 | Khusrau II [Bistam 591-595; Hurmazd V 593] - recovery of Egypt and Anatolia, which are subsequently lost again in counter-attack by emperor Heraclius. Sack of Jerusalem (614) |
| 628 | Kavad II |
| 628-630 | Ardashir III [Shahrbaraz 630; Khusrau III 630] |
| 630-631 | Borandukht |
| 631 | Azarmidokht |
| 631-632 | Hurmazd VI |
| 631-633 | Khusrau IV |
| 632-651 | Yazdegird III - Defeats by Muslim armies at Qadisiyya and Nihavand. The Sasanian empire falls to the Arabs. |