TEHRAN -- A group of Iranian university professors and academics has condemned remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the Persian king Xerxes I and the destruction of Athens, saying Western politicians are presenting a selective account of ancient history.
In a statement published by Iran’s Students News Agency (ISNA), the academics defended the historical legacy of the Achaemenid Empire and called on scholars and historians worldwide to respond to biased and provocative comments about Iranian civilization.
Rubio referred to the Persian invasion of Athens in 480 BC during a speech delivered in Athens on October 7, using the destruction of the Acropolis and its sanctuaries under Xerxes as an example of the struggles that shaped Western civilization. 
The Iranian academics said that such accounts overlook broader historical circumstances and other episodes of destruction involving ancient Greek and Macedonian forces.
The statement traces Iran’s imperial heritage to the reign of Cyrus the Great in the sixth century BC, presenting the Achaemenid Empire as a political system distinguished by its approach to governance, religious tolerance, respect for local traditions and the reconstruction of temples.
It states that Persian rulers, including Cyrus, Darius I and Xerxes I, established a civilization whose administrative and intellectual achievements attracted the attention of foreign observers, particularly Greek historians, philosophers and political thinkers.
The academics cited Greek literary and historical accounts as evidence that ancient Persian governance was more complex than portrayals centered exclusively on military conquest. They also highlighted the admiration expressed by some Greek writers for Cyrus and his approach to leadership.
The statement challenged the selective treatment of ancient conflicts by Western politicians. While Rubio emphasized the Persian destruction of Athens, the academics pointed to the earlier burning of Sardis during the Ionian Revolt and the later destruction of Persepolis during the campaign of Alexander the Macedonian.
They stated that these episodes should also form part of any discussion of the historical relationship between Persian and Greek civilizations.
The authors further rejected comparisons between ancient Persian imperial campaigns and contemporary Iran, stating that historical events should not be used to portray the country as an inherent
 threat to Western civilization or European values.
The statement maintained that Iran’s cultural and historical significance could not be erased by political rhetoric, while calling for a more balanced examination of the region’s ancient history.
Its authors invited academics, historians and scholars around the world to express solidarity with Iranian intellectuals in opposing historically inaccurate and politically motivated interpretations.
The statement asserted that Iran had developed one of the world’s oldest and most distinguished civilizations and emphasized the importance of historical fairness in contemporary international discourse.
The academics also declared that Iranians have not initiated wars throughout their long history, while stressing their determination to defend their country against external threats.