BABYLON AND PERSIA

90 MEDIA, BABYLON, AND PERSIA,''Mazda bade him rule his world, and watch over it, andmake it thrive. Yima accepted the task, and-AhuraMazda brought him a golden ring and poniard.'He sacrificed on the sacred height Hukairya toArdvi-Sura Anahita, Haoma, Vayu, asking for vari¬ous boons which they granted. He became thesovereign lord of countries, and ruled not only overmen, but over the daevas, and Mazda's Kingly Glory(Hvareno) was around him. That was the GoldenAge of the world. In his reign there was neithercold nor heat, neither old age nor death, neither hotwind nor cold wind, and there was great fatness andabundance of flocks in the world created by Mazda.Herds and people were free from death, plants andwaters were free from drought ;fathers and sonswalked about equally perfect in shape, which wasthat of youths of fifteen years.So were things whileYima ruled, he of the many flocks, and that wasduring a thousand years. Of these, three hundred'years had passed away, and the earth was replenishedwith flocks and herds, with men and dogs and birds,and red, blazing fires, and there was no more roomfor flocks, herds, and men. Then Yima, beingwarned by Ahura-Mazda, pressed the earth with thegolden ring and bored it with the poniard, speakingthus : " O Spenta-Armaiti (see p. 75), kindly openasunder and stretch thyself afar, to bear flocks andherds and men." And the earth, at Yima's bidding,grew one third larger than it was before, and therecame flocks and herds and men, at his will and wish,as many as he wished. When six hundred years of*So Darmesteter. DeHarlez renders "a golden plough and anox-goad."