Sasanian Empire · 224-272 AD

The Sasanians: Shapur I and the captured emperor

In 224 a prince from southern Iran overthrew the Parthians and founded the Sasanian dynasty. His son Shapur I beat three Roman emperors and took one of them prisoner. Students read his victory in stone and compare Persian and Roman versions of the story.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
12–15
On the map
3 steps, AD 200 to AD 400
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

In 224 a prince from southern Iran overthrew the Parthians and founded the Sasanian dynasty. His son Shapur I beat three Roman emperors and took one of them prisoner. Students read his victory in stone and compare Persian and Roman versions of the story.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain how the Sasanians replaced the Parthians in 224.
  • Describe Shapur I's victories over Rome and how he presented them in rock reliefs and inscriptions.
  • Compare Roman and Persian sources about the same events.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 200

A new dynasty

Open the map in AD 200 and find the Parthian Empire. In 224 Ardashir, a prince from Fars in the south, overthrew the last Parthian king. The map keeps the Parthian name until 400. Find Fars, near Persepolis.

Open this view on the map
b

AD 250

The Persian Empires

Open Stories (top left) and play The Persian Empires. Pause on "The Sasanian rival". What does it say about the Sasanians and Rome?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 400

A contested frontier

Set the year to 400, when the map shows the empire as Persia. Zoom to the upper Euphrates and Tigris and type "Where is Edessa?" in Ask the atlas. Why did both empires fight over these frontier cities?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Ardashir called himself King of Kings of Iran. Why might a new dynasty use old, grand titles?
  2. Shapur carved his victories over Roman emperors into cliffs. Why tell the story in stone rather than in a book?
  3. Roman prisoners were settled in Persia and built dams, bridges and cities. How might they and the local people have seen each other?
  4. Later Roman writers told grim stories about Valerian's captivity, while Persian sources say little. Whose account should we trust?
  5. Rome and Persia fought on and off for about 400 years and neither won for good. Why do some rivalries last so long?
4

Game round

9 min

Play Darius the Great in Rule History. Shapur I had his victories carved at Naqsh-e Rostam, right below the tomb of Darius, linking himself to the old Persian kings. After the round, discuss: why would a new dynasty want to be seen as the heirs of Darius?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

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