over Persia, the royal family, and the different parts of
the empire, are often mentioned in the most ancient
classical authors that have come down to us.

** The six Amesha-spentas, with their several
characteristics, are enumerated in a passage of the _De
Iside_. This exposition of Persian doctrine is usually
attributed to Theopompus, from which we may deduce the
existence of a belief in the Amesha-spentas in the
Achsemenian period. J. Darmesteter affirms, on the contrary,
that "the author describes the Zoro-astrianism of his own
times (the second century A.D.), and quotes Theopompus for a
special doctrine, that of the periods of the world's life."
Although this last point is correct, the first part of
Darmesteter's theory does not seem to me justified by
investigation. The whole passage of Plutarch is a well-
arranged composition of uniform style, which may be regarded
as an exposition of the system described by Theopompus,
probably in the eighth of his Philippics.

[Illustration: 016a.jpg THE MOON-GOD]

[Illustration: 016b.jpg GOD OF THE WIND]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a coin of King Kanishka,
published by Percy Gardner.

These benevolent and immortal beings--_Amesha-spentas_--were, in the
order of precedence, Vohu-mano (good thought), Asha-vahista (perfect
holiness), Khshathra-vairya (good government), Spenta-armaiti (meek
piety), Haurvatat (health), Ameretat (immortality). Each of them had
a special domain assigned to him in which to display his energy
untrammelled: Vohu-mano had charge of cattle, Asha-vahista of fire,
Khshathra-vairya of metals, Spenta-armaiti of the earth, Haurvatat and
Ameretat of vegetation and of water. They were represented in human
form, either masculine as Vohu-mano and Asha-vahista,* or feminine as
Spenta-armaiti, the daughter and spouse of Ahura-mazda, who became
the mother of the first man, Gayomaretan, and, through Gayomaretan,
ancestress of the whole human race.

* The image of Asha-vahista is known to us from coins of the
Indo-Scythian kings of Bactriana. Vohu-mano is described as
a young man.

[Illustration: 017a.jpg ATAR THE GOD OF FIRE]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a coin of King Kanishka,
published by Percy Gardner.

[Illustration: 017b.jpg AURVATASPA]

Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from coin published by Percy
Gardner.

[Illustrat