The Cimmerians ended the Phrygian reign in Anatolia, and were then followed by the Medes (585BC) and the Persians (525BC). The Persians divided the empire into semi autonomous provinces and ruled the area, using governors who were known as "Satraps". In the ancient Persian language, Katpatuka, the word for Cappadocia, meant "Land of the well bred horses". Since the religion they were devoted to was the Zoroastrian religion and fire was considered to be divine, the volcanoes in the area, Erciyes and H asandag were sacred for them. The Persians constructed a "Royal Road" connecting their capital city to the Aegean region passing through Cappadocia. The Macedonian King Alexander defeated Persian armies twice, in 34 and 332 B.C., and conquered this great Empire. After bringing the Persian empire to an end, King Alaxander met with great resistance in Cappadocia. When Alexander tried to rule the region through one of his commanders named Sabictus, the people resisted and declared Ariarthes, a Persian aristocrat, king. As an industrious ruler, Ariarthes I(332-322 B.C.) extended the borders of the Cappadocian kingdom.

The kingdom of Cappadocia lived in peace until the death of Alexander. Fron then until 17AD, when it became a Roman province, it fought wars with the Macedonians, the Galatians, the Pontus nation and the Romans.