MANI, also called MANES and MANI cif.Eus (c.216-277). A Persian sage, founder of a religious and philosophical system, which spread widely and lived long. especially in its western forms. The most valuable accounts of Mani's life are found in Mohammedan histories. He was horn near Ctesiphon, in Mesopotamia, where be received his education. His father, Fatak, was connected with the Mughtasilah, South Babylonian sect of 'baptizers,' akin to the Mantheans (q.v.) and perhaps also to the Eike saites (q.v.). Toward his thirtieth year Mani began the new religious movement which was to hear his name, preaching at the Court of the Persian King, Shapur I. He claimed that he re ceived divine revelations,and that he was the final prophet of God to the world. Not meeting with great success at Court, he undertook a series of missionary journeys, penetrating into Turkestan, India, and China. He also sent out disciples to preach his doctrines. After spending ninny years in missionary labor, Mani returned to Persia. where lie now won converts even at the royal Court. But the Magians (the Persian priest hood) rose in opposition, and he was imprisoned, hut managed to escape. After the death of Shapur, Mani returned to the capital and was received with favor by the new King, Hormuz I. But the Magians renewed their attacks. and after some years of conflict secured his condem nation, durimr the reign of Bahram Mani crucified, his body was flayed and exposed to public contempt. His followers suffered hitter persecution.
Mani is reported to have been a man of great and varied ability along several lines, e.g. in the
art of painting. He was not content with writ ing in the Syriac and Persian language, but in vented an alphabet of his own. His works. which were known to the Mohammedan historians, but have since been lost, included the Book of .,‘!cerets, describing certain Christian sects of the East; the Book of Precepts for Hearers, the most wide ly current of his writings, probably to be identi fied with what Augustine calls the Epistola Fundamenti; and a Holy Gospel (perhaps not its actual title, though it is so called), a work writ ten in Persian while Mani was in retirement in Turkestan. He also wrote several shorter treatises and numerous letters.
Among the most important sources for Mani's life are the Arabic Fihrist by Abulfarag an Nadim (tenth century), edited by Fltigel (Leip zig, 1S71-7:2) ; the Greek Acta Disputationis Archclai, edited by Routh, in Reliquice Sacra., VOL V. (Oxford. 1S4S), translated into English in the .1ntc-Nimne Fathers, American ed., vol. vi.; and Eusebins, Ecclesiastical History, vii. 31. In Latin, the works of Augustine are valuable for western Manicl:mism; consult the Nicene. and Post-Nicene Fathers, first series, vol. iv. (edited by P. Schaff). In general, consult: De Beau sobre. Histoire critique du Manicheisme (Am sterdam, 1734) ; Kessler. Mani, hd. Vorunter suchungen and Quellen (Berlin, 1SS9) : Ilarnack, History of Dogma, vol. iii. (London, 1897). For Mani's doctrine, see MANICH '*.ISM.