Or Sassanian Dynasty (Or Sasanian), the ruling dynasty of the neo-Persian empire founded by Ardashir I. in A.D. 226 and destroyed by the Arabs in 637. The dynasty is named after Sasan, an ancestor of Ardashir I. For a list of the kings and the history of the empire see Persia: Ancient History, section viii.; for its fall see also Caliphate, section A, § 1.