Zoroaster facts for kids

For other uses, see Zoroaster (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Zoroaster 𐬰𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬚𐬎𐬱𐬙𐬭𐬀 Zaraθuštra
19th-century Indian Zoroastrian perception of Zoroaster derived from a figure that appears in a 4th-century sculpture at Taq-e Bostan in South-Western Iran. The original is now believed to be either a representation of Mithra or Hvare-khshaeta.
Born	Unknown date (lived sometime before 500 BC) Unknown location
Died	Unknown date (lived sometime before 500 BC) (aged probably 74) Unknown location
Venerated in	Zoroastrianism Manichaeism Baháʼí Faith Mithraism Ahmadiyya

Zoroaster, also known as Zarathustra, was an ancient Iranian prophet. He is seen as the spiritual founder of Zoroastrianism, a religion that became very important in ancient Iran. He spoke a language called Avestan and lived in the eastern part of the Iranian plateau. We don't know exactly where he was born.

Scholars don't agree on when Zoroaster lived. Some think he lived around 1500 to 1000 BC, based on language and cultural clues. Others believe he lived later, in the 7th or 6th centuries BC, around the time of famous kings like Cyrus the Great and Darius the Great. Zoroastrianism became the official religion of ancient Iran, especially during the Achaemenid Empire, from about 600 BC until the 7th century AD. After the Arab-Muslim conquest, the religion slowly declined. Zoroaster is believed to have written the Gathas and the Yasna Haptanghaiti, which are hymns that form the main ideas of Zoroastrianism. We don't know much about Zoroaster's life beyond these ancient texts.

Understanding Zoroaster's Name
When Did Zoroaster Live?
Where Was Zoroaster From?
Zoroaster's Life Story
- The Cypress of Kashmar
Zoroaster's Ideas and Philosophy
How Zoroaster is Shown in Art
Zoroaster's Influence on Modern Culture
See also
Images for kids

Understanding Zoroaster's Name

Zoroaster's name in his own language, Avestan, was likely Zaraθuštra. The English name "Zoroaster" comes from the later Greek way of writing it, Zōroastrēs. This Greek name might have combined parts that sounded like "undiluted" and "star."

The name Zaraθuštra is thought to come from an older Iranian name, *Zaratuštra-. The second part of the name, -uštra-, means "camel." So, the whole name might mean "he who can manage camels." Other ideas for the meaning include "with old/aging camels" or "with yellow camels."

When Did Zoroaster Live?

There is no clear agreement on when Zoroaster lived because the ancient texts don't give direct dates. Historians have different ideas.

Some scholars, like Mary Boyce, suggest he lived between 1500 and 1000 BC. They base this on how similar the Old Avestan language of the Gathas is to the Sanskrit of the Rigveda, an ancient Indian text. Both languages seem to come from a very old common source. The Gathas describe a society from the Stone or Bronze Age, which makes it seem unlikely they were written too far apart from the Rigveda.

Other scholars think he lived later, between the 7th and 6th centuries BC. This idea often tries to connect figures in Zoroastrian stories to real historical people. For example, some thought the mythical King Vishtaspa, who supported Zoroaster, might be Darius I's father, who was also named Vishtaspa. However, if this were true, it's strange that the ancient texts don't mention Darius's father becoming a great emperor.

Ancient Greek writers from the 6th to 4th centuries BC had very different ideas. Some thought Zoroaster lived 6,000 years before a Greek invasion in 480 BC, which would be around 6480 BC. This might have been a misunderstanding of Zoroastrian ideas about long cycles of time.

Later Zoroastrian writings, like the Bundahishn, say Zoroaster lived "258 years before Alexander." This refers to Alexander the Great's conquest of the Achaemenid Empire in 330 BC. This would place Zoroaster in the 6th century BC. This date became the traditional Zoroastrian view.

Where Was Zoroaster From?

Zoroaster's exact birthplace is also a mystery. The language he spoke in the Gathas doesn't perfectly match known dialects from western or eastern Persia. Some suggest he might have been born in one area and then moved to another.

Ancient Zoroastrian texts, like Yasna 9 and 17, mention the Ditya River in Airyanem Vaejah as his home. This area is thought to be in eastern Iran. The oldest Zoroastrian texts don't mention western Iranian tribes like the Medes or Persians. Instead, they name places mostly in northeastern and eastern Iran.

However, some later texts from the 9th to 12th centuries place a Zoroastrian religious leader in 'Ragha', which is in western Iran (modern Rai). This has led to confusion about his origin.

Greek and Latin writers also had different ideas, some saying he was from eastern Iran (like Bactria or Sistan) and others from western Iran. Some even thought there was more than one Zoroaster.

By the late 20th century, most scholars agreed that Zoroaster likely came from eastern Greater Iran. Places like Sistan, Bactria, Chorasmia, or even areas near the Volga have been suggested. The old idea that he was from western Iran is generally not accepted by scholars today.

Zoroaster's Life Story

Zoroaster was the son of Pourušaspa from the Spitaman family, and his mother was Dugdōw. His family names seem to fit a nomadic lifestyle. His father's name means "possessing gray horses," and his mother's means "milkmaid." He had four brothers, two older and two younger.

He probably started training for priesthood very young, around age seven. By fifteen, he was likely a priest. The Gathas suggest he learned from other teachers and through his own travels after leaving his parents at age twenty.

When he was about thirty, he had a special experience during a spring festival. By a river, he saw a shining being who introduced himself as Vohu Manah (Good Purpose). This being taught him about Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) and five other bright figures. Zoroaster then understood that there were two main Spirits: Ahura Mazda, who represented order and truth (called Asha), and Angra Mainyu (Destructive Spirit), who represented deception (called Druj). From then on, he decided to teach people to follow Asha. He had more visions, and his teachings were gathered into the Gathas and the Avesta.

Around age forty-two, he gained the support of Queen Hutaosa and a ruler named Vishtaspa. Vishtaspa became an early follower of Zoroastrianism.

According to tradition, Zoroaster lived many years after Vishtaspa became a follower. He built a strong community and married three times. He had three sons and three daughters from his first two wives. His third wife had no children. Zoroaster is said to have died when he was 77 years and 40 days old. Later stories, like the Shahnameh, say he was killed by a priest of the old religion during a conflict.

The Cypress of Kashmar

The Cypress of Kashmar is a legendary, beautiful, and huge cypress tree. It was said to have grown from a branch that Zoroaster brought from Paradise. The story says Zoroaster planted it in Kashmar, northeastern Iran, to celebrate King Vishtaspa becoming a Zoroastrian.

According to the historian Zakariya al-Qazwini, King Vishtaspa was a supporter of Zoroaster, and Zoroaster himself planted the tree. Al-Qazwini wrote that in 861 AD, the ruler Al-Mutawakkil ordered the giant cypress to be cut down. He wanted to use its wood for his new palace in Samarra. People in Iran protested and offered a lot of money to save the tree, but it was still cut down and transported. However, Al-Mutawakkil never saw the tree, as he was murdered the night it arrived at the Tigris River.

Zoroaster's Ideas and Philosophy

In the Gathas, Zoroaster described human life as a mental struggle between aša (truth, order) and druj (falsehood, deception). The idea of aša is central to Zoroastrianism. It means truth, order, and righteousness, and it is the foundation of everything, including Ahura Mazda and creation itself.

The goal for humans, and all creation, is to support and live in line with aša. For people, this means actively living an ethical life, taking part in rituals, and having good thoughts, good words, and good deeds.

Some of Zoroaster's philosophical ideas influenced Western thought, especially Judaism and Platonism. The Greek philosopher Heraclitus is often thought to have been inspired by Zoroaster's ideas.

In 2005, the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy listed Zarathustra as the first philosopher in history. His ideas continue to be important today, partly because of the system of religious ethics he created called Mazdayasna. This word means "Worship of Wisdom/Mazda." The ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder claimed that Zoroastrians later taught the Greeks, who then used a similar term, "philosophy" (meaning "love of wisdom"), to describe the search for ultimate truth.

Zoroaster believed strongly in the freedom of each person to choose between right and wrong. He taught that people are responsible for their own actions. Choosing to accept aša and reject druj is a personal decision, not something forced by Ahura Mazda. By thinking good thoughts, speaking good words, and doing good deeds (like helping those in need or performing good rituals), we increase aša in the world and in ourselves. This helps us move closer to Frashokereti, which is the idea of making the world perfect. So, we are not just servants of Ahura Mazda, but we can choose to be co-workers, helping to perfect the world and ourselves.

How Zoroaster is Shown in Art

Most pictures of Zoroaster show him wearing white robes, similar to what Zoroastrian priests wear today. He is often shown holding a bundle of thin rods or twigs called a baresman, which is a symbol of priesthood. Sometimes, he holds a book, which might represent the Avesta.

Another common image shows him with a mace, called a varza. This is usually a steel rod with a bull's head on top, which priests carry during their installation ceremony. In other pictures, he has a raised hand and a thoughtful, lifted finger, as if he is making an important point.

Zoroaster is rarely shown looking directly at the viewer. Instead, he usually looks slightly upwards, as if praying or seeking inspiration. He almost always has a beard.

One famous image of Zoroaster comes from a Sassanid-era rock carving at Taq-e Bostan. This carving shows a figure overseeing a king's coronation. This figure stands on a lotus flower, holds a baresman, and has a glowing halo around his head. For a long time, people thought this was Zoroaster, but now it's more commonly believed to be a depiction of Mithra, another important figure. One of the most famous European artworks showing Zoroaster is in Raphael's 1509 painting, The School of Athens. In this painting, Zoroaster and Ptolemy are talking in the bottom right corner, and Zoroaster is holding a globe covered in stars.

Zoroaster's Influence on Modern Culture

The German composer Richard Strauss wrote a famous piece of music called Also sprach Zarathustra (1896). This music was inspired by a book by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, which was also titled Thus Spoke Zarathustra.

There is a sculpture of Zoroaster by Edward Clarke Potter from 1896. It represents ancient Persian wisdom and stands tall at the Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State in Manhattan. Another sculpture of Zoroaster is found with other important religious figures on the outside of the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel at the University of Chicago.

Images for kids

3rd-century Mithraic depiction of Zoroaster found in Dura Europos, Syria by Franz Cumont
Painted clay and alabaster head of a Zoroastrian priest wearing a distinctive Bactrian-style headdress, Takhti-Sangin, Tajikistan, Greco-Bactrian kingdom, 3rd–2nd century BC
19th century painting depicting the events of Zoroaster's life.
The rings of the Fravashi.
Disciples of Zoroaster centered in Nineveh.
An 8th-century Tang dynasty Chinese clay figurine of a Sogdian man (an Eastern Iranian person) wearing a distinctive cap and face veil, possibly a camel rider or even a Zoroastrian priest engaging in a ritual at a fire temple, since face veils were used to avoid contaminating the holy fire with breath or saliva; Museum of Oriental Art (Turin), Italy.
Detail of The School of Athens by Raphael, 1509, showing Zoroaster (left, with star-studded globe).
Depiction of Zoroaster in Clavis Artis [it], an alchemy manuscript published in Germany in the late 17th or early 18th century and pseudoepigraphically attributed to Zoroaster

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