Level 33
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Ancient Philosophy

Zoroastrianism and Ancient Persian Thought

The dualistic cosmology and ethical vision of Zoroaster, from the prophetic hymns of the Gathas to the Achaemenid and Sassanian courts, and its lasting influence on later Mediterranean and Asian religious philosophy.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Zoroaster and the Gathas: Prophecy and Reform. Zoroaster reformed Iranian polytheism into an ethical monotheism centered on Ahura Mazda.
  2. Ahura Mazda, Angra Mainyu, and Cosmic Dualism. Zoroastrian dualism opposes the good creator Ahura Mazda to the destructive Angra Mainyu.
  3. Asha and Druj: Truth, Order, and the Ethics of Choice. Asha (truth/order) and druj (the lie) frame Zoroastrian ethics as a matter of free moral choice.
  4. Zoroastrian Eschatology: Judgment, Frashokereti, and the Afterlife. Zoroastrian eschatology promises individual judgment, bodily resurrection, and cosmic renewal.
  5. The Achaemenid Court and the Politics of Persian Religion. Achaemenid kings invoked Ahura Mazda while ruling a religiously diverse empire with notable tolerance.
  6. Zurvanism and Later Sassanian Theological Debate. Zurvanism resolved dualist tension by making Time the father of both Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu.
  7. Manichaeism: Mani's Synthesis of Persian and Gnostic Thought. Mani fused Zoroastrian dualism with Gnostic and Christian elements into a distinct world religion.
  8. Zoroastrian Influence on Judaism, Christianity, and Greek Philosophy. Zoroastrian ideas plausibly shaped later Jewish, Christian, and Greek religious and cosmological thought.

This module continues after "Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Wisdom Literature" in the syllabus. If you haven't reviewed it yet, it may help set the context.

Key points

Visual module map

1Zoroaster and the Gathas: Prophecy and Reform
2Asha and Druj: Truth, Order, and the Ethics of Choice
3The Achaemenid Court and the Politics of Persian Religion
4Zurvanism and Later Sassanian Theological Debate
5Zoroastrian Influence on Judaism, Christianity, and Greek Philosophy

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Final test

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Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

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Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Boyce, M. (1979). Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
  • Zaehner, R.C. (1961). The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
  • Zaehner, R.C. (1955). Zurvan: A Zoroastrian Dilemma. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  • Cohn, N. (1993). Cosmos, Chaos and the World to Come: The Ancient Roots of Apocalyptic Faith. New Haven: Yale University Press.
  • West, M.L. (1971). Early Greek Philosophy and the Orient. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
  • Lieu, S.N.C. (1992). Manichaeism in the Later Roman Empire and Medieval China (2nd ed.). Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck.