Zoroastrians in fourth-century Cappadocia (1)

Text
Basil of Caesarea, Letters 258.4:
The Magousaian people … is numerous and widely dispersed among us throughout almost all of the region, as a result of colonists from Babylonia being settled here long ago. They observe their own practices, and do not associate with other people; it is completely impossible to reason with them since they have been ensnared by the devil to his will. They have no books or teachers of their tenets, but are raised in this unreasoning way of life, children learning ungodliness from their parents. Besides these features, observable by all, they reject the slaughter of animals as a pollution and kill the animals they need through the hands of others. They have a passion for unlawful marriages and regard fire as a god, and the like. None of the Magi, down to the present day, has told us tales of their being descended from Abraham; instead they name a certain Zarnouas (= Zurvan) as the founder of their people.

Source (list of abbreviations) (source links will open in a new browser window)
Basil of Caesarea, Letters 258.4

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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