251 
nection of such matters with Zoroaster is interesting. Ammi- 
anus Marcellinus observes that “ Plato, that greatest authority 
upon famous doctrines, states that the Magian religion, or 
Magia, known by the mystic name of Machagistia, is the most 
un corrupted form of worship in things divine, to the philosophy 
of which, in primitive ages, Zoroastres, a Bactrian, made many 
additions drawn from the mysteries of the Chaldeans.”* * * § In 
later classical times many clumsy forgeries were attributed to 
Zoroaster, as to such personages as Orpheus (the Sanskrit 
Ribhu) and Hermes-Trismegistos (Tet-Thotk, i.e. Thought or 
Intellect); and there is still extant a work entitled Magilca 
Login, ton apo tou Zoroastrou Magon. The younger Psellus, 
A.D. 1020 — 1105, amongst his numerous writings composed 
scholia on Zoroastrian literature, and gives as a Zoroastrian 
saying the dictum that 
“ The soul, being a bright fire, by the power of the Father, 
Remains immortal and is mistress of life.”t 
And, lastly, Ficinus, who died A.D. 1499, and who wrote a 
work entitled De Immortalitate Animi, states that, according to 
Zoroaster, certain aquatic and aerial demons “ are sometimes 
seen by acute eyes, especially in Persia.”! It would be inte- 
resting to fully analyze and compare the above and other clas- 
sical and mediaeval statements with Zoroaster and Magisrn as 
revealed to us by modern discovery; suffice it, however, to 
observe here, that on the whole Zoroaster is described as an 
eminent Baktrian, possessed of mysterious wisdom in matters 
both physical and spiritual, engaged in contests with neigh- 
bouring nations, the author of various occult works, versed in 
the law connected with demons and the destiny of the soul, 
closely associated with the revei’ential or mystical use of fire, 
connected in the legend of Er, with a resurrection or revival, 
and the son of Aliuramazda. His magic or wisdom appears as 
a combination of both Baktrian and Chaldean lore, and its 
mystic name, Macli-agistia, at once reminds us of the Akkadian 
root mach, “ very-high,” to which I have ventured to refer 
mag ism. § 
* Ammianus, xxiii. G. 
f 'Vvxrj irup dvvapu izarpog oinra <paeivov, 
AOavarog re pevei, ical ^iopg deoTrong lari. 
t Apud Cory, Ancient Fragments, 255. 
§ Souidas calls Zoroastres an astronomer in the time of Ninos, who 
wished to be destroyed by fire from heaven, and warned the Assyrians to 
preserve his ashes. He mentions another Zoroastres, whom he styles a 
Perso-Median sage, who first established the Magian polity and lived 500 
years before the Trojan War, perhaps the most reasonable date given by any 
