Historical-Critical Dissertation on the Ancient and New Manichaeans

DISSERTATION ON THE ANCIENTS

...to be sacrificed, instituted for the purpose of averting evil and gloomy things. The text here concludes a thought from the previous page regarding sacrifices made to appease harsh or "averting" deities. They say that Oromazes Ahura Mazda, the supreme creator god in Zoroastrianism, representing light and order. was born from the purest light, and Arimanius Ahriman, the destructive spirit in Zoroastrianism, representing darkness and chaos. from darkness. They wage war against each other.

The Magi of the Persians—namely their philosophers and wise men—taught two principles: a good spirit and an evil spirit; Horomazdes and Arimanius, whom they likened to Jupiter and Pluto.

III. Now I turn my attention to the Persian Magi, whose name among their own people was a mark of virtue and praise; it signified the same thing as "Philosopher" does among the Greeks and "Wise Man" among the Latins. These men taught that there are two principles: a good one, from which all good things proceed, and an evil one, from which all evil things originate. They called the good principle the "Good Spirit," as well as "Jupiter" and "Horosmadis"; conversely, they called the evil principle the "Evil Spirit," "Pluto," and "Arimanius." So says (1) Laertius Diogenes Laertius (3rd century CE), a biographer of the Greek philosophers., having produced the most reliable witnesses such as Aristotle, Hermippus, Eudoxus, and Theopompus. Aristotle is the authority in his first book "On Philosophy," he says, that the Magi are more ancient than the Egyptians, and that according to them there are two principles: a good spirit and an evil spirit. One of these is called Jupiter and Horomasdes, while the other is called Pluto and Arimanius. Hermippus also says this in his first book "On the Magi," as does Eudoxus in his "Travels," and Theopompus in the eighth book of his "Philippics." Regarding their religion, divine worship, institutions, customs, discipline, and the way they cared for the body: since Manichaeus Manes (c. 216–274 CE), the founder of Manichaeism, whose dualistic religion the author considers a "ridiculous fable." transferred several of these ideas into his own equally impious and ridiculous fable, I wish to describe them here from the aforementioned (2) Laertius:

The religion, customs, and discipline of the Persian Magi.

He says the Magi devote themselves to the worship of the Gods, and offer prayers, vows, and sacrifices to them, as if they alone are truly heard by the deities. They discuss the substance and generation of the Gods, whom they also consider to be earth, water, and fire. They condemn the use of statues and images, and especially disapprove of the errors of those who claim that the Gods are male and female. They speak of Justice and consider it a great wrong to bury the dead by fire original: "igni sepelire," referring to the Zoroastrian prohibition against cremation, as fire was considered a sacred, pure element that should not be defiled by dead flesh..

(1) Laertius, Lives of the Philosophers, page 10.          (2) The same, pages 9 and 10.