Zoroaster

Lore & Background

Zoroaster spoke Avestan, an old Iranian language. His life is traditionally dated to some time around the 7th and 6th centuries BC; though most scholars, using linguistic and socio-cultural evidence, suggest a dating even further back to the end of the 2nd and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Little is known about Zoroaster; most of his life is known only from scant texts. By modern standards of historiography, no evidence can place him into a fixed period and the historicization surrounding him may be a part of a trend from before the 10th century AD that historicizes legends and myths.

According to Zoroastrian tradition, Zoroaster was trained as a priest from a young age and, around age 30, experienced a divine revelation which introduced him to Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, and the dualism of truth (asha) versus deception (druj). He is said to have gained royal patronage under King Vishtaspa, spread his teachings, and founded a community, marrying three times and having six children. Zoroastrian texts portray his philosophy as emphasizing free will, ethical responsibility, and aligning with asha through good thoughts, words, and deeds.

Reader's Guide

Zoroaster's significance lies in his role as the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism, which eventually became Greater Iran's most prominent religion from around the 6th century BC, enjoying official sanction during the time of the Sassanid Empire, until the 7th century AD, when the religion was persecuted following the Arab-Muslim conquest of Iran. His teachings, preserved in the Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti, introduced a cosmic dualism between truth (asha) and deception (druj) and emphasized free will and ethical responsibility. Some scholars controversially claim his influence on Greek philosophers such as Heraclitus, Plato, and Pythagoras, and on Abrahamic religions through concepts of cosmic dualism and personal morality. However, dating Zoroaster remains disputed, with classical sources placing him thousands of years before the Trojan War, while later Zoroastrian sources place him in the 6th century BC. Modern scholars consider a date around 1000 BC most likely, but a range between 1500 and 500 BC is possible. His legacy endures through Zoroastrianism, which continues as a living religion.

Did You Know?

• Zoroaster's name likely means 'he who manages camels', though its etymology has multiple interpretations.
• The Greek form 'Zoroaster' stems from later transliterations, first appearing in Xanthus's Lydiaca and Plato's First Alcibiades.
• According to Zoroastrian tradition, Zoroaster experienced a divine revelation around age 30 introducing him to Ahura Mazda.
• Some classical scholars believed Zoroaster lived 6,000 years before Xerxes I's invasion of Greece, possibly a misunderstanding of Zoroastrian cycles.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Translation by Dinshaw Jamshedji Irani, in K. D. Irani, Rabindranath Tagore, The Gathas: the Hymns of Zarathushtra, K.R. Cama Oriental Institute, 1999, 96 p. at Zarathustra.com." — Zoroaster "Truth is best (of all that is) good. As desired, what is being desired is truth for him who (represents) the best truth." — Zoroaster "Thus to the Lord doth Asha, the Truth, reply:"No guide is known who can shelter the world from woe,None who knows what moves and works Thy lofty plans." — Zoroaster "Hearken with your ears to these best counsels,Reflect upon them with illumined judgment.Let each one choose his creed with that freedom of choice each must have at great events." — Zoroaster