THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
I
education. The period between his fifteenth and his twentieth year he passed in ordinary vocations, and this appears to have ended to his dissatisfaction. Then came the period of wandering, meditation, retirement, and the beginning of his visions, these last psychologically the result of his experiences. Evidence of this is found not merely in the visions themselves, but in the series of abstractions which seem to have been taught from the very beginning, including the very remarkable one of ‘‘ the soul of the kine ” (Yasna, xxviii.), whether this personifies the people, or the brute creation, which latter, especially the domestic animals, has so large a part in the religion.
The seven visions of Zoroaster began when he was thirty and covered a period of ten years. During this time he was engaged in preaching, but without success. When he was forty, his instruction being complete, tradition affirms that he sustained his
final temptation. As Gautama, after 4. Found- attaining Nirvana, was assailed by ing of the Maya, so Zoroaster was assailed by
Religion. Angra Mainyu and his demons, whom
he repelled by the words of the holy benediction (Vendidad, xix. 1-10). His preaching had carried him not only to his own people but also among the Turanian nomads, and, according to tradition, to India and China; but he met only rebuff; it is thought that some of the denunciatory passages of the sacred books had their origin in these failures. During these years he made but one convert, his own cousin (Zatsparam, xvi. 1). It was two years more before victory came in the conversion of King Vishtaspa, ‘the Constantine of Zoroastrianism.” This raises the difficult problem of the scene of the prophet’s ministry (cf. Jackson, ut sup., pp. 205- 225), and the solution in no small part depends upon the identification of Vishtaspa. The earlier identification with Hystaspes, father of Darius, has gone by the board. Vishtaspa does not bear the title “king of kings ” usually borne by the Persian monarchs. The details of the tradition, whether in classical, native Persian, or Arabic sources, are not decisive, but rather point to this king as a quite petty monarch in eastern Iran (Bactria); at any rate, the probability is not great that Zoroaster’s success was won in his own region. Even with the court in his favor, full adoption was not attained, as the native stories speak of a struggle of two years with the “wise men.” The narrative has, of course, become befogged with the addition of the miraculous. For instance, the prophet is thrown into prison, and escapes and wins victory over the king by healing the latter’s favorite steed, and, so the story goes, became vizier, hence his progress became after a little time quite rapid. The Gathas most plausibly attributed to the prophet or his immediate disciples still indicate times of stress and conflict, as they also reflect moods which might well be the effect of varying success or failure, acceptance or rejection of the religion. The indications are clear (Yasna, xlvi. 12) that among the converts Turanians were numbered, while Hindus, Greeks, and Babylonians are also claimed as believers. The religion was strongly and militantly missionary, and the propaganda seems to have been insistent and diffused.
The organization was in this period the care of the founder, especially the establishment of the sacred fire—taken up into the cult—in new places. Among these tradition assigns a chief plate to the Atur Farnbag, or fire of
Work and the priests, probably to the east of the
Death of Caspian; then came the Atur Gush-
Zoroaster. nash, or fire of the warriors, located
near Lake Urumiah; and the Atur Burzhin M itro, or fire of the laborer. These point to a system of society like that in the early Indian system of caste, and suggest a common Indo-Iranian institution which agrees with other indications of racial and social relationship. Apparently the final stage in the life of Zoroaster was that of the “holy wars.” Many indications exist in the Avesta not only of fighting for the religion, but also of a persistent enmity between Iranians and Turanians (e.g., Yasht, v. 109, 118-117, ix. 30-31, xix. 87). The religion from its very foundation was not one of forbearance with other beliefs; its pronouncements were those of exclusive claim, and the foe marked for special disfavor was the Turanian, whose flocks and herds were singled out in the sacred books as legitimate booty, while the faithful prays for protection against this enemy (Vendidad, iii. 11; Yasht, viii. 6, 9, 37, 56). Vishtaspa and Arejat-aspa (Arjasp) are the respective champions in the war of the religion which is most noted, approximately dated 601 B.c. Political causes (refusal of Vishtaspa longer to pay tribute; Dinkart, vu. 4, 77) were evidently involved, though later writings (Shah Namah, ed. J. Mohl, iv. 289, 294, 7 vols., Paris, 1876-78) emphasize the religious motive. Arjasp refused the faith, and demanded that Vishtaspa renounce it; and in two great battles the latter was victorious. The traditions indicate a militant spirit for Zoroastrianism, not unlike that of Mohammedanism, and crusades with the sword as well as by propaganda are annaled. A second war between the same foes as those named followed after an interval, and the foe gained a temporary success, captured the royal city of Balkh, and slaughtered the priests at worship, when Zoroaster fell at the age of seventy-seven. In a second battle Vishtaspa was defeated, but in a third was finally victorious. The death of the prophet became the center of hostile and favoring legend, even entering into Christian writings (“‘ Clementine Recognitions,”’ iv. 27-29, Eng. transl. in ANF, viii. 140-141; “ Clementine Homilies,’’ ix. 4-6, Eng. transl., ANF, vill. 276; other documents cited in Jackson, ut sup., pp. 126-127).
VI. History of the Religion after Zoroaster: The death of the founder did not mean the extinction of the religion. Early narratives now lost except for abstracts or summaries, as well as later tradition, imply the continuance of crusades for the faith and the conquest by it of the Persian kingdom. Artaxerxes Longimanus (465-424) is credited with the effecting of this last. The religion spread into Armenia, Indo-Scythia, and into Asia Minor. Yet of its history under the Achaemenides (558-331 B.c.) hardly anything is known, and some doubt the fidelity of Persians to this religion in that age. The question is really legitimate—were the
5. Final
1. To the Sassanian Empire.