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Historical map · 400

Map of the Middle East in 400

In 400, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 15 states, empires and other polities in the Middle East. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, the Sasanian Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire.

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East in 400. 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 400 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 400
Atlas map: The Storm from the North (Ad 396)
FROM THE ATLAS · ROME, CHAPTER 10: THE STORM FROM THE NORTH (AD 396)

States and empires in the Middle East in 400

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire Wikipedia2.6 million km²3.9 million km²358–450
Sasanian Empire Wikipedia2.6 million km²3.0 million km²215–643
Eastern Roman Empire Wikipedia1.6 million km²1.8 million km²31 BC–AD 632
Huns Wikipedia331,000 km²1.4 million km²106–673
Himyarite Kingdom Wikipedia297,000 km²297,000 km²110 BC–AD 601
Lakhmid Kingdom Wikipedia259,000 km²259,000 km²270–633
Nobatia Wikipedia148,000 km²148,000 km²347–655
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
Kingdom of Axum Wikipedia97,000 km²97,000 km²50 BC–AD 946
Caucasian Albania Wikipedia75,000 km²75,000 km²63 BC–AD 509
Makuria Wikipedia65,000 km²65,000 km²347–1518
Xionites Wikipedia37,000 km²488,000 km²387–401
Caucasian Iberia Wikipedia36,000 km²36,000 km²63 BC–AD 533
Lazica Wikipedia23,000 km²23,000 km²63 BC–AD 777
Visigoths Wikipedia21,000 km²45,000 km²396–425

"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 300

New on the map: Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, Huns, Nobatia, Alodia, Makuria, Xionites, Visigoths.

Gone from the map: Kingdom of Kush, Kingdom of Armenia, Hadhramaut, Kingdom of Adiabene, Gothia.

What comes next: 500

Appear by 500: Allegiance of Ostrogothic Kingdom to Eastern Roman Empire, White Huns.

Gone by 500: Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, Huns, Xionites, Visigoths.

Read the history of 400

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 400?

The map data draws 15 states and other polities in the Middle East in 400. The largest by land were the Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire, the Sasanian Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, Huns and the Himyarite Kingdom.

What was the largest empire in the Middle East in 400?

Of the states on this map, the Allegiance of Kidarites to Sasanian Empire held the most land in total: about 3.9 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 400 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 400, 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 400