The English word “Magus” comes from a Latinized form of the Greek μάγος magos. The Greeks, in turn, acquired the term from Persian magus. In the 4th Century, the word entered into the Greek vocabulary following their contact with practitioners of Zoroastrianism. The Greeks did not quite understand the Zoroastrian tradition, but what they didContinue reading “Logos and Magi”
Tag Archives: Zoroaster
Zarathustra, the First Magus
Little about the life of Zarathustra is known for sure. While tradition places his birth to some time in the 6th Century BCE, there are credible arguments for his being alive as far back as the 18th Century BCE. Two texts are attributed to him directly, the Yasna Haptanghaiti and the Gathas, which take the form ofContinue reading “Zarathustra, the First Magus”
Zarathustra’s Influence
The full extent of the influence of Zarathustra is beyond the scope of a blog post. However, a look at his influence, directly and indirectly, upon Western thought will prove to illuminate. According to Porphyry’s Life of Pythagoras, the Pythagorean tradition held that their founder, Pythagoras, had studied with Zoroaster, the Greek name for Zarathustra, inContinue reading “Zarathustra’s Influence”
Setemheb 