ure of each. Man's
future Prospects. Position of the Magi under the Sassanians; their
Organization, Dress, etc. The Fire-temples and Altars. The Barsom. The
Khrafcthraghna. Magnificence of the Sassanian Court; the Throne-room,
the Seraglio, the Attendants, the Ministers. Midttude of Palaces. Dress
of the Monarch: 1, in Peace; 2, in War, Favorite Pastimes of the Kings.
Hunting. Maintenance of Paradises. Stag and Boar-hunts. Music. Hawking.
Games. Character of the Persian Warfare under the Sassanians. Sassanian
Chariots. The Elephant Corps. The Cavalry. The Archers. The ordinary
Infantry. Officers. Standards. Tactics. Private Life of the later
Persians. Agricultural Employment of the Men. Non-seclusion of the
Women. General Freedom from Oppression of all Classes except the
highest._

The general character of the Persian religion, as revived by the founder
of the Sassanian dynasty, has been described in a former chapter; but
it is felt that the present work would be incomplete if it failed to
furnish the reader with a tolerably full account of so interesting a
matter; more especially, since the religious question lay at the root
of the original rebellion and revolution which raised the Sassanidae
to power, and was to a considerable extent the basis and foundation of
their authority. An access of religious fervor gave the Persians of the
third century after Christ the strength which enabled them to throw
off the yoke of their Parthian lords and recover the sceptre of Western
Asia. A strong--almost fanatical--religious spirit animated the greater
number of the Sassanian monarchs. When the end of the kingdom came, the
old faith was still flourishing; and, though its star paled before that
of Mohammedanism, the faith itself survived, and still survives at the
present day.

It has been observed that Dualism constituted the most noticeable
feature of the religion. It may now be added that the Dualism professed
was of the most extreme and pronounced kind. Ormazd and Ahriman, the
principles of Good and Evil, were expressly declared to be "twins." They
had "in the beginning come together to create Life and Death, and to
settle how the world was to be." There was no priority of existence
of the one over the other, and no decided superiority. The two, being
coeval, had contended from all eternity, and would, it was almost
certain, continue to contend to all eternity, neither being able to
vanquish the other. Thus an eternal strug