Zoroaster (Avestan Zarathushtra, Persian Zartosht) was the ancient Iranian prophet and poet regarded as the founder of Zoroastrianism. Composer of the Gathas, the oldest hymns of the Avesta, he taught devotion to Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, and a moral choice between Truth (Asha) and the Lie (Druj). His dates remain debated, with many scholars favoring roughly 1200 to 1000 BCE.
Zoroaster at a glance
| Also known as | Zarathushtra, Zarathustra, Zartosht |
|---|---|
| Lived | Uncertain; many scholars suggest c. 1200-1000 BCE, others the 7th-6th century BCE |
| Region | Eastern Greater Iran (exact homeland unknown) |
| Language | Old Avestan |
| Attributed works | The Gathas (Yasna 28-34, 43-51, 53) |
| Tradition | Zoroastrianism (Mazdayasna) |
| Family (tradition) | Father Pourushaspa, mother Dughdova, of the Spitama clan |
Life and Dating
Almost everything known about Zoroaster comes from religious literature: the Gathas, which scholars broadly accept as his own compositions, and much later Avestan and Middle Persian (Pahlavi) texts that surround him with legend. He is called Zarathushtra of the Spitama family, a priest (zaotar) who received revelation from Ahura Mazda and found a patron in a ruler named Vishtaspa.
His date is one of the classic problems of the history of religions. Zoroastrian tradition placed him "258 years before Alexander," which would put him in the 7th or 6th century BCE, while Greek writers imagined him thousands of years earlier. Many modern specialists, comparing the archaic language of the Gathas with that of the Rigveda, place him somewhere between about 1500 and 1000 BCE, and a common working estimate is around 1000 BCE. Others still defend a later date. No archaeological evidence fixes the question, and his homeland is generally sought in eastern Iran or Central Asia rather than western Persia.
Teachings
The Gathas present a world in which every person must choose between Asha, the principle of truth and right order, and Druj, the Lie or deception. Two primal spirits, the beneficent Spenta Mainyu and the destructive Angra Mainyu (later Ahriman), are described as making this choice at the beginning of time, and humans repeat it through their thoughts, words and deeds.
Zoroaster addressed Ahura Mazda together with a group of divine qualities that later tradition organized as the Amesha Spentas, including Vohu Manah (Good Mind) and Haurvatat (Wholeness). He rejected the worship of the daevas, whom he associated with the Lie, and he spoke of a final judgment and renewal of the world, ideas later developed in the figure of the Saoshyant. Whether his theology should be called monotheism, dualism or something between the two is still debated; see dualism.
The Gathas and the Avesta
The Gathas are seventeen hymns preserved inside the Yasna, the central liturgy of the Avesta. Their Old Avestan language is difficult, and translations differ widely, which is one reason interpretations of Zoroaster's thought vary. The rest of the Avesta, written in Younger Avestan, reintroduces worship of yazatas such as Mithra and Sraosha, and shows how the prophet's message was absorbed into a living ritual tradition. The Avesta was transmitted orally for centuries and written down in a special script only in the Sasanian period.
Later Pahlavi works such as the Denkard and the Selections of Zadspram recount miracles around his birth, a vision in which Vohu Manah led him into the presence of Ahura Mazda at about age thirty, years of rejection, and the conversion of Vishtaspa. Tradition says he died at seventy-seven, and many Zoroastrians today mark his death on the observance of Zartosht No-Diso.
The Living Religion
Zoroastrianism became the dominant faith of successive Iranian empires, from the Achaemenids (in some form) through the Sasanians. After the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century, communities declined; some remained in Iran, while others migrated to Gujarat in India, where they became known as the Parsis. Today Zoroastrians live in Iran, India, and a worldwide diaspora. They maintain consecrated fires in fire temples (see temple fire) and honor the ethic summarized as good thoughts, good words, good deeds (humata, hukhta, hvarshta).
Legacy and Western Reception
Scholars have long discussed possible Zoroastrian influence on Second Temple Judaism, Christianity and Islam, especially concerning angels and demons, resurrection, judgment and a final savior. The extent of that influence is debated, but the question keeps Zoroaster central to comparative religion.
In the Greco-Roman world "Zoroaster" became a legendary sage, credited with astrology and magic, and the word magus (from the Iranian priestly title) gave English the word magic. Renaissance thinkers listed him among the "ancient theologians" alongside Hermes Trismegistus, and the so-called Chaldean Oracles circulated under his name, though they were composed in the Roman era. Friedrich Nietzsche used the name for the speaker of Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883-1885), a figure with little connection to the historical prophet. Modern occult and esoteric writers continued to cite him, often mixing legend with history, while academic study has focused on philology and the living community.
Related entries
Frequently asked questions
When did Zoroaster live?
No one knows for certain. Many scholars date him to roughly 1500-1000 BCE, often around 1000 BCE, based on the archaic language of the Gathas, which resembles that of the Rigveda. Zoroastrian tradition and some historians favor the 7th or 6th century BCE. No archaeological evidence settles the question.
Is Zoroaster the same as Zarathustra?
Yes. Zarathushtra is the Avestan form of his name, and Zarathustra is a common modern spelling. Zoroaster comes from the Greek form used by classical authors. In modern Persian he is Zartosht. Nietzsche's Zarathustra borrows the name but expresses Nietzsche's own philosophy, not the prophet's teaching.
What did Zoroaster teach?
He taught worship of Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, and a free moral choice between Asha (truth and right order) and Druj (the Lie). Humans take part in the struggle through good thoughts, good words and good deeds, and the Gathas look toward a final judgment and renewal of the world.
Sources and further reading
- Zoroaster · Wikipedia
- Zarathushtra · Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Mary Boyce, Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices (1979) · Routledge
This entry replaces an article from the original Mystica encyclopedia (online since 2001). It was rewritten from the sources above by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 30, 2026.