DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0082
Zoroastres
33
of the Rufinian monastery in Bithynia, was said to have cured a
certain man, Agathangelos by name, 'who was paralysed by thunder,
a demon having come down upon him1.'
The survival of pagan beliefs is yet clearer in later Greek and
Latin versions of Zoroastres' intercourse with heaven. Already in
the fourth century B.C. Dinon of Kolophon, author of a great his-
torical work on Persia2, beguiled by an obvious etymology, had
stated that Zoroastres was ' one that sacrificed to the stars '; and
Hermodoros, probably the Syracusan pupil of Platon3, was content
with the same explanation4. Dion Chrysostomos in a speech de-
livered at Prousa during the year 102—103 A.D.S goes into greater
detail6. Zoroastres—he says—lived the life of a recluse on a certain
mountain. Fire came down upon his mountain from above, so that
it kindled and continued to burn. Thereupon the king of Persia
and his notables drew near, wishing to worship the god. Zoroastres
emerged scatheless from the fire, bade the king be of good cheer
and offer sacrifices as one that had come to the place where the
god was. From that time onward Zoroastres associated only with
the Magoi, who could understand the god and knew how to serve
the divine. They keep a chariot of Nisaean steeds7, the finest in
all Asia, for Zeus. The popular etymology of Zoroastres, combined
with the notion that celestial fire descended upon him, was further
amplified along the lines of Greek belief. According to the Cle-
mentine Homilies*, the Magian Nebrod (Nimrod), wishing to become
1 Kallinikos de vita S. Hypatii p. 37, 30 ff. Bonnenses Ss irapeXvdy drrb Ppovrys,
Saiftovos KaTeireXdovTos avTqi (quoted by Usener loc. fit. p. 10).
2 E. Schwartz in Pauly—Wissowa Eeal-Enc. v. 654.
3 P. Natorp ib. viii. S6i.
4 Dinon frag. 5 [Frag. hist. Gr. ii. 90 Muller) and Hermodoros ap. Diog. Laert.
praef. 8 koX h.elv<j)v ev ry irefXTny tCjv iaropiQv • 6s xai fJ.e8epfj.yvev6iJ.ev6v <pyo~i tov 7iwpodo~Tpyv
darpoduTyv elvai' <pyai be tovto /ecu 6 'EpfxoSupos. J. Toup cj. darpodiryv and S. Bochart
cj. aaTpodearyv ; but cp. schol. Plat. Alcib. i p. 9r8 b 43 ff. Ztopod(TTpys...ov 5y els 'EXXyv-
iKyv <puvyv p.eTa<ppai'6/J.evov Tovvop.0. tov darpodvTyv 8yXo1. See further J. II. Moulton
Early Zoroastrianism London 1913 pp. 77, 201, 415, and especially 426 f. (' This implies
that some form of Av. zaodra (M.P. zohr) was brought in, with Gathic and Avestan star
(mod. Pers. sitara). The elements of the compound are, it must be allowed, in the wrong
order. If the Greek form Tiopodarpys were better attested, we should have no trouble.'
Etc.).
5 W. Schmid in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. v. 872.
6 Dion Chrys. or. 36 p. 92 f. Reiske. I have quoted the passage supra i. 783 f.
7 Souid. s.v. ittttos Nicrcuos.
8 Clem. Rom. horn. 9. 4 f. (ii. 244 Migne) e/c tov yivous toijtov yiverai tls Kara diaSoxyv
fjayind irapeiXycptjis 6v6fj.an ±$ej3pd)5, dxnrep ylyas evavria Tip Qeip cppoveiv eXofievos, 6v 01
"EXXyves Ziwpodarpyv irpoayyopevaav. ovtos fxerd tov KaTaKXvafxov fiacriXeias opexOeis nai
fxeyas uv fxdyos tov vvv ftaaiXevovTos kcikov tov wpoo~KOTrovvTa f Koap-ov f daTepa (an leg. tov
vvv fiaaiXevovTos kolkov tov Koo-fxov tov wpoo-KowovvTa daTepa, 'the birth-star of the evil man
that now rules the world,' sc. of Domitian?) -rrpbs Tyv clvtov fiacri'Xelo.s 56crt.v fxayiKais
C. II. 3
33
of the Rufinian monastery in Bithynia, was said to have cured a
certain man, Agathangelos by name, 'who was paralysed by thunder,
a demon having come down upon him1.'
The survival of pagan beliefs is yet clearer in later Greek and
Latin versions of Zoroastres' intercourse with heaven. Already in
the fourth century B.C. Dinon of Kolophon, author of a great his-
torical work on Persia2, beguiled by an obvious etymology, had
stated that Zoroastres was ' one that sacrificed to the stars '; and
Hermodoros, probably the Syracusan pupil of Platon3, was content
with the same explanation4. Dion Chrysostomos in a speech de-
livered at Prousa during the year 102—103 A.D.S goes into greater
detail6. Zoroastres—he says—lived the life of a recluse on a certain
mountain. Fire came down upon his mountain from above, so that
it kindled and continued to burn. Thereupon the king of Persia
and his notables drew near, wishing to worship the god. Zoroastres
emerged scatheless from the fire, bade the king be of good cheer
and offer sacrifices as one that had come to the place where the
god was. From that time onward Zoroastres associated only with
the Magoi, who could understand the god and knew how to serve
the divine. They keep a chariot of Nisaean steeds7, the finest in
all Asia, for Zeus. The popular etymology of Zoroastres, combined
with the notion that celestial fire descended upon him, was further
amplified along the lines of Greek belief. According to the Cle-
mentine Homilies*, the Magian Nebrod (Nimrod), wishing to become
1 Kallinikos de vita S. Hypatii p. 37, 30 ff. Bonnenses Ss irapeXvdy drrb Ppovrys,
Saiftovos KaTeireXdovTos avTqi (quoted by Usener loc. fit. p. 10).
2 E. Schwartz in Pauly—Wissowa Eeal-Enc. v. 654.
3 P. Natorp ib. viii. S6i.
4 Dinon frag. 5 [Frag. hist. Gr. ii. 90 Muller) and Hermodoros ap. Diog. Laert.
praef. 8 koX h.elv<j)v ev ry irefXTny tCjv iaropiQv • 6s xai fJ.e8epfj.yvev6iJ.ev6v <pyo~i tov 7iwpodo~Tpyv
darpoduTyv elvai' <pyai be tovto /ecu 6 'EpfxoSupos. J. Toup cj. darpodiryv and S. Bochart
cj. aaTpodearyv ; but cp. schol. Plat. Alcib. i p. 9r8 b 43 ff. Ztopod(TTpys...ov 5y els 'EXXyv-
iKyv <puvyv p.eTa<ppai'6/J.evov Tovvop.0. tov darpodvTyv 8yXo1. See further J. II. Moulton
Early Zoroastrianism London 1913 pp. 77, 201, 415, and especially 426 f. (' This implies
that some form of Av. zaodra (M.P. zohr) was brought in, with Gathic and Avestan star
(mod. Pers. sitara). The elements of the compound are, it must be allowed, in the wrong
order. If the Greek form Tiopodarpys were better attested, we should have no trouble.'
Etc.).
5 W. Schmid in Pauly—Wissowa Real-Enc. v. 872.
6 Dion Chrys. or. 36 p. 92 f. Reiske. I have quoted the passage supra i. 783 f.
7 Souid. s.v. ittttos Nicrcuos.
8 Clem. Rom. horn. 9. 4 f. (ii. 244 Migne) e/c tov yivous toijtov yiverai tls Kara diaSoxyv
fjayind irapeiXycptjis 6v6fj.an ±$ej3pd)5, dxnrep ylyas evavria Tip Qeip cppoveiv eXofievos, 6v 01
"EXXyves Ziwpodarpyv irpoayyopevaav. ovtos fxerd tov KaTaKXvafxov fiacriXeias opexOeis nai
fxeyas uv fxdyos tov vvv ftaaiXevovTos kcikov tov wpoo~KOTrovvTa f Koap-ov f daTepa (an leg. tov
vvv fiaaiXevovTos kolkov tov Koo-fxov tov wpoo-KowovvTa daTepa, 'the birth-star of the evil man
that now rules the world,' sc. of Domitian?) -rrpbs Tyv clvtov fiacri'Xelo.s 56crt.v fxayiKais
C. II. 3