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Historical map · AD 1

Map of the Middle East in AD 1

In AD 1, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 22 states, empires and other polities in the Middle East. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Parthian Empire, the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Kush. The Roman Empire reached well beyond the Middle East: its whole territory measured about 3.5 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East in AD 1. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

OPEN AD 1 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about AD 1
Atlas map: Augustus (30 Bc)
FROM THE ATLAS · ROME, CHAPTER 6: AUGUSTUS (30 BC)

States and empires in the Middle East in AD 1

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Parthian Empire Wikipedia2.5 million km²2.7 million km²239 BC–AD 237
Roman Empire Wikipedia1.3 million km²3.5 million km²31 BC–AD 632
Kingdom of Kush Wikipedia337,000 km²337,000 km²1000 BC–AD 346
Himyarite Kingdom Wikipedia336,000 km²336,000 km²110 BC–AD 601
Kingdom of Armenia Wikipedia217,000 km²217,000 km²326 BC–AD 646
Kingdom of Axum Wikipedia97,000 km²97,000 km²50 BC–AD 946
Nabataeans Wikipedia90,000 km²90,000 km²164 BC–AD 105
Kingdom of Cappadocia Wikipedia87,000 km²87,000 km²239 BC–AD 22
Hadhramaut Wikipedia86,000 km²86,000 km²700 BC–AD 305
Kingdom of Pontus Wikipedia80,000 km²80,000 km²281 BC–AD 67
Thracian Kingdom Wikipedia76,000 km²90,000 km²87 BC–AD 50
Indo-Scythians Wikipedia68,000 km²833,000 km²144 BC–AD 282
Kingdom of Osroene Wikipedia50,000 km²50,000 km²63 BC–AD 214
Caucasian Albania Wikipedia50,000 km²50,000 km²63 BC–AD 509
Caucasian Iberia Wikipedia36,000 km²36,000 km²63 BC–AD 533
Judea Wikipedia32,000 km²32,000 km²144 BC–AD 5
Lazica Wikipedia28,000 km²28,000 km²63 BC–AD 777
Kingdom of Sophene Wikipedia24,000 km²24,000 km²256 BC–AD 113
Kingdom of Gordyene Wikipedia14,000 km²14,000 km²63 BC–AD 259
Kingdom of Adiabene Wikipedia14,000 km²14,000 km²63 BC–AD 370
Kingdom of Commagene Wikipedia9,640 km²9,640 km²63 BC–AD 77
Greek City-States Wikipedia8,670 km²24,000 km²800 BC–AD 83

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 100 BC

New on the map: Roman Empire, Kingdom of Axum, Thracian Kingdom, Kingdom of Osroene, Caucasian Albania, Caucasian Iberia, Lazica, Kingdom of Gordyene, Kingdom of Adiabene, Kingdom of Commagene.

Gone from the map: Ptolemaic Kingdom, Roman Republic, Minaeans, Seleucid Empire, Cyrenaica, Sabaeans, Kingdom of Bithynia, Qataban.

What comes next: 100

Appear by 100: Kushan Empire.

Gone by 100: Kingdom of Cappadocia, Kingdom of Pontus, Thracian Kingdom, Judea, Kingdom of Commagene, Greek City-States.

Read the history of AD 1

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the Middle East in AD 1?

The map data draws 22 states and other polities in the Middle East in AD 1. The largest by land were the Parthian Empire, the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Kush, the Himyarite Kingdom and the Kingdom of Armenia.

What was the largest empire in the Middle East in AD 1?

Of the states on this map, the Roman Empire held the most land in total: about 3.5 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the Middle East in AD 1 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at AD 1, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Middle East in other years

Other regions in AD 1