But there they certainly were, Drake, living, breathing replicas of exceedingly ancient Persians.
"Why, they might have been the wall carvings on the tomb of Khosroes come to life.

I mention Darius because he fits in with the most plausible hypothesis.

When Alexander the Great smashed his empire he did it rather thoroughly.

There wasn't much sympathy for the vanquished in those days.

And it's entirely conceivable that a city or two in Alexander's way might have gathered up a fleeting regiment or so for protection and have decided not to wait for him, but to hunt for cover.
"Naturally, they would have gone into the almost inaccessible heart of the high ranges.