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Sykes' History of Persia - Heritage Institute

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VIII THE ARYANS OF PERSIA 105<br />

to fight on his behalf against<br />

the powers <strong>of</strong> drought and<br />

darkness. It is indeed <strong>of</strong> extraordinary interest to read<br />

how the Sky-god Varuna, the Ouranos <strong>of</strong> the Greeks,<br />

was worshipped as the Supreme God to whom prayers<br />

should be addressed, how moral attributes gathered round<br />

a fact which<br />

him, and how he, in particular, hated the lie,<br />

was deeply impressed on the Iranians, as can be seen from<br />

the inscriptions <strong>of</strong> Darius and also from the pages <strong>of</strong><br />

Herodotus.<br />

Associated with the Heaven is the luminous ether,<br />

personified under the name <strong>of</strong> Mithra. Together they<br />

watch the hearts and deeds <strong>of</strong> mankind, both being allseeing<br />

and all-knowing. Again fire, in its original form<br />

as lightning, plays a prominent part in the eternal combat<br />

which the gods <strong>of</strong> Light are waging with the powers <strong>of</strong><br />

Darkness ; and it is in describing these sublime natural<br />

phenomena that the poetical exuberance <strong>of</strong> the Aryan was<br />

specially displayed.

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