Zoroastrianism: Monotheistic Religion

Zoroastrianism is a type of religion that Darius I and his successors most likely followed. It originated in ancient Iran, and the single god of goodness named Ahuramazda was believed to be in a constant struggle against evil.

Zoroastrianism is the belief in one god being Ahura Mazda, the creator of all that is good and who alone is worthy of worship. Zoroastrianism became the official religion

Greece and Persia’s religion is one factor that makes both of these empires so diverse from each other. During the Achaemenid Period, the main religion of Persia at the time was Zoroastrianism, which the Iranian prophet and reformer Zoroaster founded in the 6th century B.C.E. At the time the royal family brought in Zoroastrianism to Persia, and since the royal family believed in it, most of the people of the Persian Empire choose to believe in it too. Greece on the other hand, did not have a religion until 146 B.C.E when Christianity entered the empire. Before Christianity had entered Greece, they believed in their mythological stories. Each myth or story had a lesson to be learned by the reader.

under the ruling of Cyrus the Great. Under emperor Darius, Persia had a bureaucracy, which meant that they had a system of government through departments and subdivisions administered by officials who follow a set of rules. He also divided the empire into provinces, each called a satrapy and headed by a governor called a satrap. Darius also drew up a single code of laws for the empire, similar to what Hammurabi did. He did this in hopes of improving trade, Darius also set up a common set of weights and measures, and he encourage the usage of coins. But most people continued to be part of the barter economy. However the coins system brought merchants and traders into an early form of a money economy. A Persian thinker named Zoroaster rejected the old Persian gods and taught that a single wise god, named Ahura Mazda. This was the first presence of

Zoroastrianism on the other hand is a monotheistic religion, originating in Iran, and has evolved throughout the ages. With approximately 130,000 remaining followers. Zoroastrianism’s early stage, is presumed to have influenced Buddhism, and introduces beliefs of Gods and Devils that have been adopted by other religions such as Christianity, and Islam. The Zoroastrian gods represented elements, aspects of nature, and principles such as justice and obedience. These gods were called daevas meaning (“shining ones”), with higher ranking gods called Ahuras or (“Lords”) with the supreme god Ahura Mazda, being worshipped above all the other gods as the divine creator; through good thoughts, words, and deeds, like the Jainism ahimsa. Zoroastrians believed there was a cosmic battle between good and evil and to support good one must dedicate themselves as spiritual warriors for good.

"The Navjote is also known as Sedreh-Pushi. This is the initiation ceremony where a child, between the ages of seven and twelve, receives his or her sudreh and kusti and performs the 'Kusti Ritual' for the first time." (BBC) In this ceremony the young person is accepted into the faith, much like a first Communion in Catholicism, or Bar Mitzvah in Judaism the tradition of faith is passed down to the younger generation as they are recognized for the first time as part of the religion's community for the first time.

The Achaemenid Empire was one of the strongest empires in Southwest Asia during the first millennium B.C.E. Courageous and skilled Persian conquerors allowed Persian rule to spread beyond Persian territory, creating one of the largest early empires (Dunn & Mitchell, 2014). However, across the Mediterranean Sea was dwelled a more advanced empire with a stronger military, the Greeks (Dunn & Mitchell, 2014). These prominent early empires possessed many similarities and held the ultimate goal of building and maintaining an advanced empire and society. Yet, their Southwestern and Afro-Eurasian cultures consisted of several different beliefs and ways of life. The 5th and 6th century B.C.E polytheistic Greek traditions tremendously differed from the religion of the Achaemenid Empire, which believed solely in Ahu Mazda, “the supreme god” (Dunn & Mitchell, 2014). The political structures of the Achaemenid and Greek Empires were also vastly dissimilar, unlike the united Achammenid Empire; Greece consisted of several poleis’ (city states) (Dunn & Mitchell, 2014).

Persia’s Religion and Intellectual The Persian Empire made many contributions to the world. One of their ideas that has expanded is Zoroastrianism which is one of world’s ancient religions that the Persians practiced. Zoroastrianism is so influential because their rulers hold imperial powers for about 1,000 years. A male prophet named Zarathustra preached this religion.

The book written by author “Peter Clark” mainly for general public and students to give them brief idea about how Zoroastrianism was founded and along the way it also gives the detail explanation of their principal of the religion. Author Peter Clark also briefly explains the influence of Zoroastrianism on other religion such as Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Author Peter Clark also talks about “A living faith – Zoroastrianism

"Zoroastrianism and Avesta: Overview and FAQ." Zoroastrianism and Avesta: Overview and FAQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2015. .

Zoroastrians are the followers of the Achaemenian prophet or priest Zarathustra (or Zoroaster as the

The Greeks would use this chance to communicate with the gods to prepare for the future. On the other hand, the Persians followed a single god, Ahuramazda -- the god of Zoroastrianism. The specific “birthplace” of this religion is a bit unclear; but since the founder, Zoroaster, was from the eastern part of Iran, we can guess that this is where it all started. Zoroaster believed that Ahuramazda, also known as “the wise lord”, made the world we all know. But this god was intimidated by Angra Mainyu, the “hostile spirit” and his fellow demons.

Zoroastrianism is defined as “an Iranian religion, founded c600 b.c. by Zoroaster, the principle beliefs of which are in the existence of a supreme deity, Ahura Mazda, and in a cosmic struggle between a spirit of good, Spenta Mainyu, and a spirit of evil, Angra Mainyu.” Zoroastrianism was founded by the Prophet Zarathustra, said to have hailed from Eastern Iran. The religion is defined by doctrines which also constitute the sacred scripture referred to as the Avestra. It was a monotheistic worship of the god Ahura Mazda and its most significant teaching was that of cosmic dualism.

During the era prior to Zoroastrianism, the Persian (known as Iranian today) were believes in polytheistic religion. It is believed that in this era many social problems had occurred due to these beliefs and practices. At the same time, Zoroaster born into a family with a father named Pourushaspa and mother named Dughdova. At the age of twenty he left home, and after many years of wondering in search for the right religion, he finally found a purification festival. Zoroaster went

Persian mythology developed in Iran after 1500 B.C. About a thousand years later, Persian mythology evolved into a religion named Zoroastrianism. This religion kept many of the same beliefs from within the myths, but also added new themes, dietes, and myths. Persian mythology reflects Persia’s idea of good versus evil.