Aug 12

The braveries of Ario Barzan, an example of the Iranians patriotism

According to the daily notes of Callisthenes, Alexander’s official historian, on August 12th, 330 BC, while advancing towards Persepolis, then capital of Iran, on a steep, mountainous region (Darband e Fars – Takab, Kohkilouyeh), the victorious forces of Macedonia faced one regiment of the Iranian army (about 1000 soldiers) under command of General Ario Barzan, and were halted. This regiment stopped advance of the huge Macedonia army for many days. This army had previously conquered Egypt, Babylonia and Assuria and had defeated Darius the 3rd in three battles and made him flee. Finally, this regiment was surrounded from all sides of the mountains and attacked from the higher altitudes, was defeated, and its brave commander was killed.     Alexander’s historian has written: “If such resistance had happened in Gaugamela (today’s Iraq Kurdistan) against our forces, our defeat was certain. In Gaugamela, with the unexpected retreat of Darius the 3rd from the battle scene, the Iranian units, who were already winning the war, also followed him in the retreat, and we won the war.”     Darius the 3rd had escaped towards the north-east of Iran and Ario Barzan was standing against the enemy in the southern altitudes of Iran, on the way to Persepolis.     The braveries of Ario Barzan opened a praiseworthy chapter in the history of our homeland and are an example of Iranian patriotism.     Ario Barzan and his soldiers started their resistance against Alexander 90 years after the resistance of Leonidas against Xerxes army in Thermopylae Pass, which also took place in August, in the same manner; but the difference between the resistance of Leonidas and the last resistance of Ario Barzan is that: The Greeks built a park and a monument in the place where Leonedas fell (at the Thermopylae Pass), and erected his statue and inscribed his last words on stone, as a sign of gratitude, but from our Ario Barzan there is no sign except a few lines translation from foreign sources!. If we look into the list of Greece tourism income we will see that visit of the monument and taking pictures next to the statue of Leonidas earns million of dollars for Greece. All tourists to Thermopylae Pass take this last message of Leonidas with them to their country: “Passers by, go and tell the people of Sparta that we fell in our blood to prove our loyalty to the law of our country” (Sparta law did not allow its soldiers to retreat). Leonidas was the king of Sparta who led the defense of Thermopylae Pass against the Iranian army, in August 480 BC.          Translation by Rowshan Lohrasbpour (Amordad-News writer)      Persepolis