or Mazda. He makes Ahura to reign, he who protects the poor."
The effect of this prayer was irresistible: "When Ahura had pronounced
the first part of the formula, Zanak Minoi, the spirit of destruction,
bowed himself with terror; at the second part he fell upon his knees;
and at the third and last he felt himself powerless to hurt the
creatures of Ahura-mazda."*

* Theopompus was already aware of this alternation of good
and bad periods. According to the tradition enshrined in the
first chapter of the Bundehesh, it was the result of a sort
of compact agreed upon at the beginning by Ahura-mazda and
Angro-mainyus. Ahura-mazda, rearing to be overcome if he
entered upon the struggle immediately, but sure of final
victory if he could gain time, proposed to his adversary a
truce of nine thousand years, at the expiration of which the
battle should begin. As soon as the compact was made, Angro-
mainyus realised that he had been tricked into taking a
false step, but it was not till after three thousand years
that he decided to break the truce and open the conflict.

The strife, kindled at the beginning of time between the two gods, has
gone on ever since with alternations of success and defeat; each in turn
has the victory for a regular period of three thousand years; but when
these periods are ended, at the expiration of twelve thousand years,
evil will be finally and for ever defeated. While awaiting this blessed
fulness of time, as Spento-mainyus shows himself in all that is good
and beautiful, in light, virtue, and justice, so Angro-mainyus is to be
perceived in all that is hateful and ugly, in darkness, sin, and crime.
Against the six Amesha-spentas he sets in array six spirits of
equal power--Akem-mano, evil thought; Andra, the devouring fire, who
introduces discontent and sin wherever he penetrates; Sauru, the flaming
arrow of death, who inspires bloodthirsty tyrants, who incites men to
theft and murder; Naongaithya, arrogance and pride; Tauru, thirst; and
Zairi, hunger.*

* The last five of these spirits are enumerated in the
_Vendidad_, and the first, Akem-mano, is there replaced by
Nasu, the chief spirit of evil.

To the Yazatas he opposed the Daevas, who never cease to torment
mankind, and so through all the ranks of nature he set over against each
good and useful creation a counter-creation of rival tendency. "'Like
a fly he crept into'