A. V. W. J. PERSIAN RELIGION, ANCIENT.
(1) Zoroaster. The religion of ancient Per sia, in the broadest sense of the word, is the re ligion that was founded by Zoroaster, and it is therefore best called Zoroastrianism. The faith has been designated under various other names, as Mazdaism, Magism, Fire-worship, Dualism or Parsism, according to certain of its prominent features. Its sacred book is the Avesta, the old est portions of which, the Gathas, are attributed to Zoroaster himself. It is supplemented by the Pahlavi Texts and by Parsi tradition.
It is now no longer doubted by scholars that Zoroaster was a real historical personage. The sources of information concerning his life are either Iranian or non-Iranian. Foremost among the Iranian is the Avesta, especially its oldest metrical portions, the Gathas. Of great impor tance also is the information given by the Pah la‘i writings and by Parsi tradition (see Frog pess, vol. ii, No. 1. p. 44)• Various ancient clas sical writers also allude to the prophet ; mention may be made especially of Theopompus, Aris :otic. Pliny, and Plutarch. while lastly, occasional references are found in Arabic, Syriac and Ar menian writers.
The name Zoroaster was taken from the Greek form Zwpoderpns, Zolt-oh-as'frace; in the Avesta the form is always Zarathuslitra; the Pahlavi texts write Zartusht ; the modern Persian, Zarduslit. The meaning of the name Zarath-ushtra is very doubt ful and many etymologies have been suggested. The second part of the name—us/lira—certainly means "camel." The first part has been translated in various ways as "lively, teasing, old, golden," Ltc.
The era when the prophet flourished has bcen a subject of much dispute. Persian tradition is probably nearly right when it claims as his era the latter half of the seventh and the beginning of the sixth century B. C. (or more exactly B. C. 660-583). The Greek and Latin classical %%eth ers claim for him an extravagant antiquity, any where from B. C. 6000 to t000. For a full dis cussion of this question we refer to the article by Jackson in J. A. O. S., vol. XVII, and to West's Introduction to "Marvels of Zoroastrianism," Sa cred books of the East, vol. XLVII.
The question of the birthplace of Zoroaster is also open to debate; but Western Iran, probably Atropatene, is commonly believed to be the region in which he arose. Thence he seems to have gone to the IN.Iedian Ragha, where, however, Ile did not meet with the wished-for success, and from Raglia he turned eastward to Bactria. There he found a generous patron in King Vis:i taspa, whose strong arm helped to establish the new religion. From Bactria the religion, now on a firm footing, presumably came back to Media. whence it was carried into Persia and became in all probability the religion of the great Achae menian kings. (See J. A. O. S., vol. XV.) The facts that we have of Zoroastcr's life often rest on doubtful or legendary authority. The outline, however, is clear. At the age of thirty he is said to have begun his ministry, and at the age of forty-two he converted King Vishtaspa, the Constantine of the Iranian faith. According to a tradition he was slain at t,he age of seventy seven. There seem to be grounds for believing with Firdausi that this happened when Balkh was stormed by the fierce Turanians. The Pahlavi texis always mention one Bratar-i Vakhsh as the slayer of the prophet.
The religion which Zoroaster founded was car ried to triumphant ascendancy by the victorious arms of the great Persian kings, and became one of the chief religious systems of the ancient Ori ent. But it also shared the reverses of its ad herents, when Alexander, the youthful hero of Macedon. overthrew the power and glory of the great Persian monarchy. Under the Seleucid government, and still more during the five cen turies of Parthian rule. it fell into neglect. With the overthrow of the Parthian dynasty and the accession of the Sassanian empire (A. D. 226) cam? the Zoroastrian renaissance. The old texts were again collected, codified, translated into Pahlavi, and explained. The religion now flour ished even more than during the Achtemenian period and continued to do so until it succumbed to the fanatic assaults of all-conquering Islam.