Dashed left edge = started before this timeline ·
Dashed right edge = still ongoing
Events in 678 BC 1
678 BC – 550 BCMedian EmpireThe Medes unify the Iranian peoplesThe Medes were the first to unify the Iranian tribes into a single state, overthrowing Assyrian dominance and forging an empire across the plateau. Their kingdom was absorbed by Cyrus the Great when he founded the Achaemenid empire, but it laid the groundwork for a unified Iran.