The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
v.

The faith which Vishtaspa adopted was not
destined to become the State creed Of his realm
without a struggle. especially with outside
powers. 1t seems to have been some seven
teen years after Nishtaspa's conversion that
the war against Arjasp. the King OF Turan.
broke out. The Shah Namah estimates at
100000 the number of soldiers in the two
wings of Arjasp's hosts. and in the reserve.
without including the main body OF the army.
On the other side. Nishtaspa's army is COM
putcd by the latkar at IA, o men. whereas. in
the Shah Nunah. the strength is vaguely stated
as l.OOONl,O 900. The location of the seat OF the
first holy war is not wholly clear. The Shah
Namah speak oil the Jihun or Oxus: the Yaktar
seems to allude to Merry as the scene of con-
tiict. The outcome Of the struggle was the
rout Of the Turauians, after which Nishtaspa
marched back to the City of Balkh to celebrate
the first great victory OF Zoroastrianism. II
wc accept the Zoronstrian chronology. based
upon the Pahlavi Bundahishn. this defeat OF
Arjasp must have occurred about B, c. 601. 4
considerable interval. nearly twenty years. is
believed to have elapsed before Arjasp began
his second invasion. The date OF the event is
placed by tradition at about b. 5S3. the year
being fixed by the death of XorOaSter. which
seems to have occurred at this time. The in
vusion was, at first. entirely successful. Balkh
was stormGd. The sacIcd flame in its fire temnies
bis faith 'Is5utbsequcntiy VIsshtaspa. was beaten
in a great battle and the. Ioroastrian religion
seemed uron the verge OF ruin. The hero Is
fendinr. who had been recompensed for his
former services to Vishtaspa by i'm Imprisonment,
was released and persuaded to forget his
wrongs. Under his command the Ioroastrian
forces were reorganized and a complete victory
over Arjasp was won. Turan was now invaded
in its turn and its capital was taken. Thus
closed the second holy war. which established
tn" faith OF Iran upon n firm foundation.
though Zoroaster was no longer living to enjoy
the fruits OF triumph.
In the tenth chapter OF this volume our au-
thor reviews the "Htnnt material herring on
the ircumstanrcs Of Horoaster's death. The
Ml mrnSs sC com tt az the " passirs w OF l6T5 suNea His,
they say. was no ordinary end: he persisted by
Lightning. ora fam" from, heaven. which, re-
whirIwlnd in the apotheosis of Elijah. The
PRINCIPAL authorities FOR such a description are
spurious Clementinc Homtlies. the statements
Of which, are followed by later writers. They
all looked, unon Zoroa:ter as an astrologer
WIN y rished by n shaft from heaven. and
usually tnrr ".ri This as a mark OF divine
disrjeasurs; En- 0rofipI; in IL ts" iifth century nSo0 of
Minus and Zoroas.er, aud added that Minus
conquered and killed him in battle, which.
second holy war against Arjasp In the late r
I"roastrlan sacred writings. there is an often
d ithS, grorheD, although the event is not men
toned in the Avesta itself. With absolute uni
formity. tn" tradition. makes his death To- have
occurred at the age OF - years. ard attributes
II to a Turanian. whose name Is preserved.
\ late Persian work. Bahistan, which %as.erts
that its statement is bas"'i upon ANCIENT lranian
authorities. giveSa descriptiOn OF the mannerin
whichthe m0rtyrnd XorOast"rav"ngei himself
ut"n, his slayer, by hurting his rosary at his
murderer and drstruylnE!him. Tn" passage
reads 4" 1t j. recorded in the hooks composed
lyInroaster's followers ana also in the ancient
histories Of Iran thai, at tn" pArioi Of ArJasp's
second invasion. King Gqshtasp was rarthk,ng
Of the hospitality OF Ial in Seistan. and lsfen-
diar was "A prisoner in Dam Gum Uadan and
that I.ohrasp. notwithstanding. the religious
austerities he performed through divine favor.
lad aside the rnne. of mortality in battle.
after which the Turks took the city. A Turk
named Turbaroturhash having entered 10
r]oattcr's %Oratory, the prophet received martyr
dom at his sword. XorOastcr. however. having
thrown AT him the rosary which he held in his
hand. there proceeded from It such an cTulgent
spiendor that its fire, fell upon Turbaraturhash
and consumed him
Zoroastrianism did not die with its founder.
National events have changed the course of its
history. bat il lives on To this day. The occur
r"nces Of the years that supcryoned between
the death Of tho prophet and tho coming OF
Alexander the Great are recorded By Prof.
Jackson in q supplementary chapter as being
the results Of /Oronster's life. and they will be
found interesting from the viewpoint of COM
parison between tradition and actual history.
VI, W, II,