BABYLON AND PERSIA

26 MEDIA, BABYLON, AND PERSIA.For years, too, had Moses lived the herdsman's lifein the wilds of stony Sina'i before he returned to hispeople, old in years and in heavenly lore, and toldhis mission and worked it out.Let us, then, becontent with such vague glimpses of the Eraniansage in his human truth, without heeding the flimsyfinery of signs and wonders with which the puerilefancy of later ages and the injudicious zeal of fol¬lowers tricked out the reverend and majestic image.II. We further know froin the Avesta that theking who honored Zarathushtra and believed in himwas Vishtaspa, famous in legendary tradition asone of the early hero-kings of Eran. But it isscarcely admissible that the whole of Eran shouldhave been united under one ruler in pre-historictimes.So Vishtaspa will have to be iinagined askin"- of some one Eranian countiy, almost certainlyin the northeastern region, very possibly Bactria,which was early a prosperous and powerful kingdom,the capital of which is called " the beautiful Bakhdhi,with high-lifted banners," a designation evidentlyimplying some great distinction, probably a royalresidence.Whether Zarathushtra was a born sub¬ject of Vishtaspa, or was a native of some other partof Eran and only came thither to preach, is uncer¬tain. Tradition, however, makes him of royal race,and has preserved a long genealogy, which showshim to be descended from one of the very oldestlegendary kings. As to the time when king andprophet lived, it is likely that no positive date willever be reached, and all we can with great proba¬bility conjecture, is that it should be placed some-