his people were influenced by it. It is safe to surmise that they practised some form of Indo-Iranian religion, with Mithra, who was steadily rising in influence, as perhaps the regnant divine power. Darius and his successors were ardent Mazda-worshippers. These Achaemenian kings most devoutly ascribe all their greatness and success to Auramazda, Av. Ahura Mazda. The Old Persian Inscriptions speak of him as the greatest of the divinities.[1] Darius says with fervent piety that Auramazda made him king and enabled him to hold his vast kingdom firm. Everything that the king did or every glory that he achieved was by the will of Auramazda. Every battle that he won and every army of the enemy that he routed was by the grace of Auramazda.[2] Xerxes zealously imitates his illustrious father and attributes everything of his to Auramazda, and invokes his protection for himself and his empire.[3] It is again Auramazda who brought the kingdom to Artaxerxes III.[4] Though Auramazda is thus the supreme God of the Achaemenians, it seems there were lesser divinities who received their homage. Without using their names, Darius and Xerxes are seen expressing their wish that other gods besides Auramazda may protect their country.[5] It is Artaxerxes who speaks of Mithra and Anahita.[6] Herodotus tells us that the Persians did not set up images to gods.[7] During the later period, however, Artaxerxes Mnemon first introduced images of gods. He set up the statue of Anahita in Babylon, Susa, Ecbatana, Damascus, and Sardis.[8] Arshtā, Av. Arshtāt, which personifies Rectitude is yet another heavenly being discovered by Foy in the inscriptions and confirmed by Jackson by close examination on the rock.[9] Darius says here that he walks according to arshtām or rectitude. With the emphasis that Zarathushtra lays in the Gathas upon Druj, Lie, Wickedness, Darius speaks of drauga, Lie, as the embodiment of
- ↑ Dar. Pers. d. 1; Xerx. Elv. 1, Xerx Van. 1.
- ↑ Bh. 1. 5-9, 13, 14, 18, 19; 2. 20, 25-31, 33, 35; 3. 36, 38, 41, 42, 45, 46; 4. 50, 52, 54, 56-59, 62, 63; 5. 72, 75; Pers. d. 1-3; e. 2, Nr. a. 1, 3-5; b. 1, Elv. 1, Sz. c. 1.
- ↑ Pers. a. 1. 3, 4; b. 1. 3; c. 1. 3; d. 1. 3; Elv. 1; Van 1. 3.
- ↑ Pers. a. 1.
- ↑ Bh. 4. 12, 13; Dar. Pers. d. 3; Xerx. Pers. b. 3; c. 3; d. 3.
- ↑ Art. Pers. a. 4, Art. Sus. a; Art. Ham. 1.
- ↑ Herod. 1. 131.
- ↑ Berosus, cited by Clemens Alexandrinus, Propreptica, V. 65. 3; cf. Cumont, Anahita, in ERE. 1. 414, 415.
- ↑ Bh. 4. 64; see Jackson, JAOS XXIV. 90-92.
