Zoroaster and Horomazes

Use in the book

The wisest royal tutor teaches this religious lore and the kingly arts. The immediate explanation of mageia restricts its sense in this context: it is not introduced as harmful sorcery or theatrical illusion. Religious training and royal competence stand together in the account of the future ruler’s formation. The passage says nothing about the content of the rites, a doctrinal system or a precise historical date for Zoroaster. Its importance is comparative: Alcibiades’ rivals have instruction presented as extending to religion and rule, whereas his own inadequate preparation is about to be exposed through the Zopyrus contrast.

Places to read

1. 121e–122aThe first tutor’s subject joins religious service and kingly matters.

Translation in this edition

The name Ζωροάστρου is divided across Burnet pages in the supplied text and is reconstructed here as the same word. The note identifies Horomazes with Ahura Mazda and cautions that sonship is a Greek formulation. This entry does not convert that formulation into an account of Persian self-understanding.

Ζωροάστρης

Attested: Ζωροάστρου (zōroastrou; 122a). Zoroaster, named as of Horomazes in the Persian tutor’s religious lore. Lexical identification: lemma: Ζωροάστρης. See Zoroaster and Horomazes.

θεῶν θεραπεία

Attested: θεῶν θεραπεία (theōn therapeia; 122a). Service of the gods, the dialogue’s explicit gloss on the Magian subject of instruction. Lexical identification: phrase label: θεῶν θεραπεία. See Zoroaster and Horomazes.

μαγεία

Attested: μαγείαν (mageian; 122a). Magian lore, immediately glossed as service of the gods rather than harmful sorcery. Lexical identification: lemma: μαγεία. See Zoroaster and Horomazes.

Ὡρομάζης

Attested: Ὡρομάζου (hōromazou; 122a). Horomazes, the name attached as parentage to Zoroaster in the Greek account. Lexical identification: lemma: Ὡρομάζης. See Zoroaster and Horomazes.