Ebook: Traditions of the Magi: Zoroastrianism in Greek and Latin Literature (Religions in the Graeco-Roman World 113)

This volume treats the Greek and Latin references to Zoroastrianism since the works of Benveniste, Bidez and Cumont and Clemen. It focuses on the possibilities offered by the classical reports on Zoroastrianism to reconstruct the history of that faith. The text is divided into three sections: the first deals with introductory problems concerning ancient religious ethnography and current views of the history of Zoroastrianism. The second section consists of commentaries on five selected passages. Finally, the third section offers a thematical overview of the materials and their relevance for the history of Iranian religions. The book aims to illustrate the diversity of beliefs and pratices in ancient Zoroastrianism.