Ardashir I (180β241)
Born 180 CE, died 241 CE.
Ardashir I (Middle Persian: π π₯π²π§π±π²π₯, romanized: Arda(x)Ε‘Δr), also known as Ardashir the Unifier (180β242 AD), was the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. After defeating Artabanus IV, the last King of Kings of Parthia, on the Hormozdgan plain in 224, he overthrew the Arsacid dynasty and established the Sasanian dynasty. Afterwards, Ardashir called himself King of Kings (Ε Γ’hΓ’n Ε Γ’h) and began conquering the land that he called ΔrΔnΕ‘ahr, the realm of the Iranians. There are various historical reports about Ardashir's lineage and ancestry. According to al-Tabari's History of the Prophets and Kings, Ardashir was son of Papak, son of Sasan. Another narrative recorded in Kar-Namag i Ardashir i Pabagan and Ferdowsi's Shahnameh states that Ardashir was born from the marriage of Sasan, a descendant of Darius III, with the daughter of Papak, a local governor in Pars. According to al-Tabari's report, Ardashir was born in the outskirts of Istakhr, Pars. Al-Tabari adds that Ardashir was sent to the lord of Fort Darabgard when he was seven years old. After the lord's death, Ardashir succeeded him and became the commander of Fort Darabgard.
Text from the Wikipedia article Ardashir_I, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.