The Persians were the people and culture of ancient and modern Persia (or Iran) on Earth. They originated the concept of the "Persian flaw". (TNG: "Time Squared")
In 480 BC, the vast Persian army besieged a mountain pass for two days against a small force of Spartans, led by King Leonidas, in what was later known as the Battle of Thermopylae. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")