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Ancient Iranian religion, widespread to this day. [German version] I. Definitions The term Zoroastrianism derives from the name Zoroaster (for dates and name forms cf. Zoroaster), who is considered as 'founder', 'prophet' and 'apostle' of this religion. Its members have also been using the term Zoroastrianism to refer to themselves since the British colonial period. Self-designations found in older (Avestan = Av., Middle-Persian = MP and New-Persian = NP) sources, by contrast, derive from the worship of the god Ahura Mazdā (Av.; MP Ohrmazd): the 'good religion worshipping Mazd…

[German version] (Ζωροάστρης/ Zōroástēs, Avestan Zara θ uštra, Middle Persian Zardu(x)št, New Persian Zartošt or Zardošt). First mentioned by Xanthus [5] the Lydian, later the most widespread (and also astrologically inspired) Greek form of the Old Iranian male name Zaraθuštra, which is of unclear etymology. Only the latter part, ° uštra- ('camel'), can be clearly determined. Zaraθuštra's (extended) family is supposed to have borne the epithet spitāma-, its precise significance is also unknown. When Zaraθuštra lived and where he worked are notoriously disputed (if in…

Stausberg, Michael [German version] A. Antiquity (CT) The reception history in the West of the figure of Zoroaster and of the religious traditions that trace themselves to it, the religion of Zarathustra, also known as Zoroastrianism or Mazdaism, begins with Greek reports [2; 6]. Early examples include Herodotus' description of the nomoi of the Persians and the report of Xanthus the Lydian, transmitted in Diogenes Laertius (1, 2), according to which Zoroaster (Zarathuštra) - there are several Greek variants of the name - lived 6000 years before …