Zoroastres

Zoroastres is the Ancient Greek and Latin form of Zarathustra, the name of the Iranian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism. The name was borrowed into Greek as Ζωροάστρης (Zōroástrēs) and later into Latin as Zōroastrēs. This Hellenized version became the basis for the common English name Zoroaster. The original Avestan name Zarathustra is traditionally interpreted as meaning 'the one who manages camels,' from uštra 'camel,' though the first element remains uncertain. Zoroastrian tradition holds that Zarathustra received revelations from Ahura Mazda and spread the religion throughout ancient Iran.

The Greek form first appears in 5th-century BC texts by authors such as Xanthus of Lydia and later in Plutarch and Diogenes Laertius. It likely entered Greek via Persian embassies or through the travels of Ionian scholars. The Latin form follows the Greek declension pattern, and it was used by Roman scholars such as Pliny the Elder and Apuleius. During the Hellenistic and Roman periods, Zoroaster was often depicted as a wise philosopher or even a magician-healer, partly due to conflation with Babylonian astrology.

• Meaning: He who manages camels (uncertain first element)
• Origin: Greek, derived from Avestan Zarathustra
• Type: Given name (historic/religious)
• Usage Regions: Ancient Greece and Rome; used in scholarly contexts