Zarathustra (Zoroaster)

Iranian prophet and religious reformer, founder of Zoroastrianism. The dates of his life are highly uncertain — scholarly estimates range from 1500 BCE to 600 BCE; a date of roughly 1000 BCE in eastern Iran or Central Asia is common. He taught of a single supreme deity Ahura Mazda ('Wise Lord') in cosmic conflict with Angra Mainyu (the destructive spirit), and of the moral responsibility of each person to choose truth (asha) over falsehood (druj). His hymns (the Gathas) survive as the oldest part of the Avesta.

• Nationality: persian
• Roles: religious_leader