his country from evil forces. The ceremonial start of oil-wrestling, called by its Persian name "Peshrev" has clear links with old Iranian institutes as the Zurkhane, literally "house of strength". The building consists of a court, around which the men who will perform, arrange themselves, and a gallery for the ostad ("master") or morshed (spiritual leader) and the musicians. Nowadays, the musical accompaniment consists of a drum and recitation of portions of Ferdowsi's Shahname. Various rhythms are employed, and a variety of movements associated with them, including displays of strength in manipulating heavy objects (such as weights and chains) and acrobatics. Here the origin of the peshrev is found, considered by some to be preparation and a ceremony to greet the audience, to others a participatory form of dance. It is different from the usual step-right, step-left, step-right, kick-left, step-left, kick-right dance encountered in the rest of the region. Greco-Roman Oil-wrestling The word "Pehlivan" for a wrestler was first used in this period, when the Parthians (238 BC - 224 AD) expelled the Greeks from Iran. Huns The Huns arrived on the fringes of the Roman Empire in the late 4th century, moved on horseback out of the steppes of Central Asia into Germany and France. As they approached the Black Sea and conquered the Ostrogoths, they also drove the Visigoths across the Danube into the Roman Empire, causing the crisis that led to the astounding defeat of the Roman army under the Emperor Valens near Adrianople (Edirne) in 378 AD. The Huns were fanatic wrestlers as well as horsemen. After securing a strong position on the Roman side of the Danube, the Huns were checked by the Roman army of general Aspar in Thrace (442). In 447, Pehlivan Attila came again into Thrace and stopped only when Emperor Thodosius II begged for terms. During the negotiations, a Roman-Hun wrestling competition was held in Thermopylae. The dispute was settled by a wrestling match and winner Attila accepted payment of all tribute in arrears and a new annual tribute of 2,100 pounds of gold and territory south of the Danube. Three years later Emperor Theodosius died falling from his horse. His successor, Marcian (450-457), refused to pay Attila. The Huns did not retaliate, because the sister of the Roman Emperor Valentinian III, Honoria, sent to him her ring and a message to the King of the Huns and asked Attila to