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the field, degrading even Jupiter himself to the rank of a mere 
planetary genius, I am not concerned. His mysteries, trials, 
tests, tortures, grades, and their contest and connection with 
Christianity and Gnosticism, form an exceedingly interesting 
study, but neither truly Zarathustrian, nor yet archaic. One 
Euboulos, quoted by Porphyry, wrote a history of Mithra in 
many books, and connected Zoroaster with his cult.* * * § 
16. Mithra and the Gdtlias. 
In the Mithra of the Avesta the Sun-god is presented before 
us in his customary double aspect. Physically, he sees all 
things, possesses wide pastures, has a chariot and swift horses, 
or stands clad in gold upon the mountain-tops. But he is far 
more than this ; he is also a mighty spiritual being, the judge, 
the terrible opponent of evil men and evil powers, the avenger 
of the broken contractt and the scourge of the liar, the be- 
stower of reward, fame, and holiness to the soul, to whom a 
man may draw near in prayer as to a friend. Now, as the 
name Mithra does not occur in the Gdthas except in the sense 
of “ contract ” or “ promise,” the next question for considera- 
tion is, What is the connection between Mithra and the reli- 
gion of the Gdtlias ? The general opinion is somewhat as 
follows : — “ Whilst in the Gathas we never find mentioned 
gods like Mithra and Anahita,J we meet with their names in 
nearly every page of the later Yasna. Here arises the ques- 
tion why the author of the Gathas disregarded these gods and 
divine beings whom it was afterwards held sinful to neglect ? 
The only (?) answer is that he neither believed in them nor 
thought them to be an essential part of religion. ”§ So Dr. 
West observes, “Mithra finds no place in the earlier Zoroas- 
trian scriptures, and his appearance with the other angels, in 
the later writings, denotes a partial lapse into idolatry.” || 
Although I dissent with diffidence from such authorities, yet 
I am compelled to do so in the present instance, and for the 
following reasons : — 
I. Mithra occupied a position of exceedingly high honour 
and importance prior to the separation of Indian and Iranian. 
* Vide C. W. King, The Gnostics and their Remains, 97 ; Porphyry, 
Periapoches ton empsuchon, iv. 16; Peri ton en Odusseia ton Numphdn 
antrou, 2. 
+ A promise or contract is called mithra, and to break it is “ to lie to 
Mithra” (vide Yasna, xlvi. 5 ; Vendidad, iv). 
X The classical Anaitis and the Chaldeo- Assyrian Anatu. Her case 
is not analogous with that of Mithra, as she sprang from an entirely different 
source. Mithra is a purely Aryan divinity. 
§ Hang, Essays, 260. || The Academy, June 29, 1878, p. 588. 
