Sacred Books..., Vol. VII, Ancient Persia

THE SACRED BOOKS AND EARLY LITERATURE OF THE EAST WITH HISTORICAL SURVEYS OF THE CHIEF WRITINGS OF EACH NATION Translations, Bibliographies, etc., by the following Leading Orientalists: IN AMERICA: MORRIS JASTROW, LL.D., Professor of Semitic Languages, University of Penn- sylvania; JAMES H. BREASTED, LL.D., Professor of Egyptology, University of Chicago; CHARLES C. TORREY, D.D., Professor of Semitic Languages, Yale University; A. V. W. JACKSON, LL.D., Professor of Indo-Iranian, Columbia Uni- versity; CHARLES R. LANMAN, LL.D., Professor of Sanskrit, Harvard University; REV. CHARLES F. AIKEN, S.T.D., Dean of the Faculty of Theology, Catholic University; FRIEDRICH HIRTH, LL.D., Professor of Chinese, Columbia Uni- versity; REV. WILLIAM E. GRIFFIS, D.D., former Professor at the Imperial University, Tokio. IN EUROPE: E. A. W. BUDGE, F.S.A., Director of Egyptology in the British Museum; SIR GASTON MASPERO, D.C.L., Member of the Royal Institute of France; REV. A. H. SAYCE, LL.D., Professor of Comparative Philology, Oxford University; W. FLINDERS-PETRIE, LL.D., Professor of Egyptology, University College, London; STEPHEN LANGDON, Ph.D., Professor of Assyriology, Oxford University; Sir ERNEST SATOW, LL.D., G.C.M.G., British Minister to Japan; H. OLDENBERG, LL.D., Professor of Sanskrit, Kiel University; T. W. RHYS-DAVIDS, LL.D., Librarian of the Royal Asiatic Society; ARMINIUS VAMBÉRY, LL.D., Professor of Oriental Languages, University of Budapest. IN ASIA: SIR M. COOMARA SWAMY, Legislative Council of Ceylon; ROMESH CHUNDER DUTT, C.I.E., Author of the History of Civilization in Ancient India; DARAB D. P. SANJANA, Educational Society of Bombay; VISCOUNT KENCHO SUYE- MATSU, LL.M., Japanese Minister of the Interior; SHEIK FAIZ-ULLAH-BHAI, Head Master of the Schools of Anjuman-i-Islam; RALPH T. GRIFFITH, President Benares College, India; JIVANJI JAMSHEDJI MODI, Fellow of Bombay Uni- versity, Officier de l'Académie Française. Under the editorship of a staff of specialists directed by PROF. CHARLES F. HORNE, PH.D. PARKE, AUSTIN, AND LIPSCOMB, INC. NEW YORK LONDON This Volume is one of a complete set of the Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, consisting of fourteen volumes. In Volume I of the series will be found a cer- tificate as to the limitation of the edition and the registered number of this set. Copyright, 1917, Parke, Austin, and Lipscomb, Inc. THE EXPEDITION OF THE HERO SAHM. From an old Persian painting, depicting Sahm setting out to rescue his King. THE SACRED BOOKS AND EARLY LITERATURE OF THE EAST ————— VOLUME VII ANCIENT PERSIA ————— In Translations by A. V. W. JACKSON, LL.D., Professor of Indo-Iranian, Columbia University; REV. LAWRENCE H. MILLS, D.D., Professor of Zend Philology, Oxford University; REV. JAMES H. MOULTON, D.C.L., Professor of Indo-European, Manchester University; E. W. WEST, Ph.D., of Oxford University; JAMES DARMESTETER, former Pro- fessor of Persian, University of France; MARTIN HAUG, Ph.D., Professor of Sanskrit, University of Munich; JIVANJI JAMSHEDJI MODI, Fellow of Bombay University and Officier de l'Académie Fran- çaise; DARAB DASTUR PESHOTAN SANJANA, and other Parsi scholars. With a Brief Bibliography by PROF. A. V. W. JACKSON, LL.D. ——————— With an Historical Survey and Descriptions by PROF. CHARLES F. HORNE, PH.D. PARKE, AUSTIN, AND LIPSCOMB, INC. NEW YORK LONDON "Let there be light."—GENESIS I, 3. ———— "There never was a false god, nor was there ever really a false religion, unless you call a child a false man."—MAX MÜLLER. CONTENTS OF VOLUME VII ——————— ANCIENT PERSIA PAGE INTRODUCTION— The first known teacher of the Aryan Race, Zoroaster, the "Ancient Sage" ........... 1 THE ZEND-AVESTA, OR PERSIAN HOLY SCRIPTURE I.—THE GATHAS (2000 to 600 B.C.?) ................................ 9 The Primitive Zoroastrian Faith II.—THE VENDIDAD (600 to 400 B.C.) ................................55 The Zoroastrian "Book of the Law" THE EMPIRE OF CYRUS III.—THE ROCK – INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PERSIAN CONQUERORS (539 to 332 B.C.) .............................. 163 THE LATER RELIGIOUS BOOKS IV.—THE BUNDAHISH (A.D. 226 to A.D. 640) ..................... 179 The Zoroastrian Account of Creation V.—THE BOOK OF ARDA VIRAF (A.D. 226 to A.D. 640) ...... 185 A Dantesque Vision of Heaven and Hell THE PAHLAVI HISTORICAL ROMANCES VI.—THE MEMOIRS OF ZARIR, (A.D. 300 to A.D. 700) ......... 212 The Oldest Account of the Zoroastrian Religious Wars v vi CONTENTS PAGE VII.—THE RECORDS OF ARTAKSHIR (A.D. 400 to A.D. 800) 225 The Heroic Founding of the Second Persian Empire THE FINAL PERSIAN TRADITION OF THE PAST VIII.—THE SHAH-NAMEH, OR EPIC OF KINGS (A.D. 1000) .. 255 BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................... 403 ILLUSTRATIONS IN VOLUME VII ———————— FACING PAGE The Expedition of the Hero, Sahm .........................Frontispiece Zoroaster's Only Known Portrait ......................................... 64 Where Greece Conquered Persia.......................................... 176 The Prophecy of Artakshir's Empire..................................... 240 Rustem's Victory over the White Demon ............................. 318 The Flying-Machine of King Kai Kaus ................................ 330 vii SACRED BOOKS AND EARLY LITERATURE OF ANCIENT PERSIA ——— INTRODUCTION THE FIRST KNOWN TEACHER OF THE ARYAN RACE, ZOROASTER, "THE ANCIENT SAGE" N this volume we turn from the great books of the Semitic I races to trace the earliest literature and the expanding thought of the Aryan peoples, the ancestors of the Europeans of to-day. The Aryans first stepped forth as political leaders of the world in the year 539 B.C., when, as noted in our earliest volume, Cyrus, the great Persian conqueror, seized posses- sion of Babylon. Ancient Babylon had been for thousands of years the center of Semitic thought and culture and power. Since then, for other thousands of years, the Aryan peoples, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and modern Europeans, have held control of the earth. When we turn to look back of Cyrus' sudden victory to see who these Persians were and whence they came, we enter one of the most fascinating fields of the far past. In religion Cyrus was presumably, like the rest of his nation, a Zoroastrian. But who was Zoroaster, and what was his religion? Up to a century or so ago, the world could scarcely answer. Old Greek books were indeed full of praise of Zoroaster. The Greek traveler Herodotus, "the Father of History," spoke much and enthusiastically of the Persian religion; but he dwelt mainly on its moral influence as making its followers noble of character, and he explained but little of its doctrines. Greek philosophers bestowed on l 2 THE SACRED BOOKS Zoroaster the title of "the Ancient Sage"; but they took advantage of his fame to attribute to him many of their own doctrines and their books of pretended prophecy. The real Zoroaster and the real early history of Persia became lost beneath a mass of Greek legends of fantastic character. Thus the Zoroastrian fables known to our immediate ancestors narrated chiefly that Zoroaster at his birth had been the only infant of all time who on entering this world had laughed out in triumph, instead of wailing. They related that he alone of all men had seen his double or spirit form, his "Fravashi," as the Persians call it, face to face, and had learned wisdom from it. Again, they told how angry heaven had destroyed the too-ambitious thinker by a flash of fire, leaving only his charred bones. Arab tradition made Zo- roaster a pupil of the prophet Jeremiah; and Jewish tradition declared him to be the patriarch Abraham under another name. All the tales agreed that the ancient sage had wandered widely over Asia, even as far as China, seeking to find disciples for his teaching, but had met only perse- cution and threats of death, until at last he found support from a Persian king. Our recovery of some real knowledge of Zoroaster, of his books, his teachings, and even of his personal life, forms one of the true romances of modern science. His faith has long disappeared from Persia. Even the knowledge of it had been long forgotten; for when the land was conquered by the Mohammedan Arabs in the seventh century of our era, the Mohammedan religion was forced upon the Persian people. Their ancient faith was obliterated, and their ancient literature destroyed. How, then, have these been preserved for us? A few earnest Zoroastrians fled from Persia into India, carrying with them their religion and even some of its Sacred Books. In that strange land of a thousand faiths they were but little molested. For over a thousand years they dwelt there as a sect apart, until in the eighteenth century Europe heard of this Indian sect as the "Parsis," a name presumably corrupted from "Persians." European scholars sought curiously to study this new- LITERATURE OF THE EAST 3 found and unknown Parsi faith; but centuries of suffering had made its priesthood fearful, and suspicious of intruders. They would reveal nothing to the European strangers. At length an enthusiastic and resolute young Frenchman, An- quetil Duperron, determined to solve the mystery. He had neither money nor influence, so he enlisted as a private soldier in the British Indian forces. After years of toil and effort he managed at length not only to reach the Parsis, but to dwell among them until he had overcome their distrust, and they revealed to him their ancient books. The eager young savant studied these and after much patient labor suc- ceeded in translating them into his own tongue. Even then, however, his battle was but begun. European scholars, judging too quickly and carelessly, declared his work a forgery. It was too wonderful! Scholars could not believe that the whole Aryan past, the long-lost and long- forgotten religion of our ancestors, could have been thus suddenly recovered by a wandering soldier.

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