CHAPTER XVIII

THE THIRD SUB-RACE, THE IRANIAN
AGAIN we return to the City of the Bridge, still great, though decreasing in splendour, for we have come to the year B. C. 30,000. An interval of ten thousand years elapsed after the despatch of the second sub-race before the Manu sent forth the third. The men for this work had been carefully prepared through many centuries, like the others ; He had kept them apart in one of His mountain- valleys, and developed them until they showed as quite a distinct type. In His original selection in Atlantis, He had included a small proportion of the best of the sixth Atlantean sub-race, and He now utilised the families which had preserved most of that Akkadian blood, sending into incarnation in them His group of pioneers. One or two of them were sent further afield to bring back a strain of Akkadian blood from its home in more western countries. Thus we observed Herakles, a strong good-looking young man, arriving at the City of the Bridge in a caravan from Mesopotamia, his birthplace ; he was dolichocephalous, an Akkadian of pure blood. He had joined the caravan from a mere spirit of adventure, the desire of high- spirited youth to see the world, and certainly had
294 MAN: WHENCE, HOW AND WHITHER
not the faintest idea that he had been sent to Mesopotamia to take birth, and was being drawn back to Central Asia to rejoin his old friends in their accustomed pioneer work. He was immensely attracted by the beauty and splendour of the ancient and ordered civilisation into which he came, and promptly anchored himself therein by falling in love with Orion, a daughter of Sirius.
This proceeding was frowned upon by Sirius and his wife Mizar, for Sirius was a younger son of Vaivasvafa Manu and Mercury, and he disapprov¬ ed of the introduction of a young Akkadian into his family circle. But a hint from his Father was enough to ensure his compliance, for he was, as ever, promptly obedient to authority, and the Manu was at once his Father and his King. In order to comply with the law which the Manu Himself had established, it was necessary that Herakles should be adopted into an Aryan family, so he was accepted into that of Osiris, an older brother of Sirius.
The Manu was very old, and as Sirius was not wanted for the succession, he was packed off to the valley selected for the building up of the third sub-race, with his family, including his son- in-law, Herakles, and his children.1 Pallas — the Plato of later history — was there as a priest, and Helios as a priestess, a tall commanding figure, with dignified gestures.
The people of this valley, as they multiplied, were more pastoral than agricultural, keeping large herds of sheep and cattle and numbers of horses.
1 See Appendix viii, for complete list.
THE THIRD SUB-RACE, THE IRANIAN 295
The Manu who, on this occasion, had largely modi¬ fied His appearance, came into the sub-race in the fifth generation, and He allowed the people to multiply for some two thousand years until there was available an army of three hundred thousand fighting men, fit to undergo hardship and strenuous marching. He then sent into incarnation Mars, Corona, Theodoros, Vulcan and Vajra, fit captains for His host, and He led it forth Himself. This time it was no ordinary migration ; it was simply an army on the march. The women and children were left behind in the valley, where Neptune, the wife of Mars, and Osiris, the wife of Corona, strong and noble matrons, took into their hands the direction of affairs, and ruled the community well.1
A fine body-guard of young unmarried men acted as staff to the leaders, ready to be sent off with messages in any direction ; they were very proud of themselves and very gay, enthusiastic over the idea that they were going out for a real good fight under the Manu Himself.
But it was no holiday march, for the route lay through a difficult country ; some of the passes across the end of the Tian-shan range, where it curves round into the Kashgar district, were nine thousand feet in height ; for part of the way they followed the course of a river which passed through ravines and valleys. The Manu poured His great army of three hundred thousand splendid fighting men into Kashgar, defeating easily such of the nomad hordes as ventured to attack Him as He crossed their deserts. These tribes buzzed round the fringe of the army, and there were many
1 See Appendix ix.
296 MAN: WHENCE, HOW AND WHITHER
skirmishes, but no battles of any account. The weapons used were long and short lances and spears, short strong swords, slings and bows. The horsemen used lances and swords, and had round shields slung across their backs ; the footmen carried spears, and there were bodies of archers and slingers, the former marching in the centre, and the archers and slingers on the outside.
Sometimes, as they neared a village, the villa¬ gers — who dreaded and hated the warlike hill tribes — would meet and welcome them, bringing cattle and food of all sorts. Long harassed by forays, often attacked, robbed and massacred, the people of the plains were inclined to welcome a power which would restore and maintain order.
Persia was overrun without much difficulty in the course of two years, and then Mesopotamia was subdued. The Manu established military posts at frequent intervals, dividing the country among His chiefs. Forts were built, first of earth and later of stones, until a network was made over Persia to prevent raids from the mountains. No attempt was made to conquer the warlike tribes, but they were practically confined within their fastnesses, and were no longer permitted to plunder the peaceable inhabitants of the plains.
The body-guard, now bearded and seasoned warriors, accompanied their Chiefs everywhere, and the land was conquered right down to the desert of the south, and up to the Kurdish mountains on the north. For some years there was occasional fighting, and it was not until the country was quite peaceful and settled that the Manu called to
THE THIRD SUB-RACE, THE IRANIAN 297
it the vast caravan of the wives and children of the soldiers, left behind in the valley of the third sub-race.
The arrival of the caravan was a matter of great rejoicing, and marriages became the order of the day. Herakles and Alcyone fell in love with the same young woman, Fides, a handsome girl with a decided nose ; she preferred Alcyone, and the disconsolate Herakles decided to commit suicide, life being no longer worth living ; his father, Mars, how¬ ever, came down upon him, bidding him not to be a fool, and sent him off on an expedition against an insurgent chief, Trapezium; under these conditions Herakles recovered, defeated his adversary, came back quite contented, and married Psyche, a niece of Mars, who had been adopted by him after her
father was slain in battle.
_ \
For the next fifty years the Manu kept this new Empire under His direct rule, visiting it several times, and appointing members of His family as its Governors ; but just before His death He resigned His own throne in Central Asia to His grandson Mars, appointed Mars’ next brother, Corona, as the independent King of Persia, with Theodoros under him as Governor of Mesopotamia. From this time the third sub¬ race quickly increased in power. In a few centuries it dominated the whole of western Asia from the Mediterranean to the Pamirs, and from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Aral. With certain changes its Empire lasted until about B. C. 2,200.
In this long period of twenty-eight thousand years, one event stands out as of supreme importance — the
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298 MAN: WHENCE, HOW AND WHITHER
coming of the Mahaguru as the first Zarafhustra, the founding of the Religion of the Fire, in B. C. 29,700.
The country had become fairly settled under the reigns of the Kings who had succeeded Corona, of whom Mars, the Ruler of the time — of course in a new body — was the tenth. Military rule had passed away, though occasional raids reminded the inhabitants of their turbulent neighbours on the further side of the ring of forts, now well-built and strong. It was in the main an agricultural country, though large numbers of herds and flocks were kept, and it was these which specially tempted descents from the hills.
The second son of Mars was Mercury, and his body was chosen as the vehicle for the Supreme Teacher; Surya was the Chief Priest, the Hierophant, of the time, at the head of the State religion, a mixture of Nature and Star Worship, and he wielded an immense authority, chiefly because of his office, but also partly because he was of the blood royal. The fact that Mercury had been chosen to surrender his body for the use of the Mahaguru had been communicated to his father as well as to the Chief Priest, and from his child¬ hood he had been carefully trained in view of his glorious destiny, Surya taking charge of his educa¬ tion, and the father co-operating in every way in his power.
The day arrived when the first public appear¬ ance of the Mahaguru was to be made ; He had come from Shamballa in His subtle body, and had taken possession of the body of Mercury, and a great procession started from the Royal Palace to
THE THIRD SUB-RACE, THE IRANIAN 299
the chief Temple of the city. In it walked, on the right, under a golden canopy, the stately figure of the King ; the jewelled canopy of the High Priest glittered on the left; and between them was carried, shoulder-high so that all might see, a golden chair, in which sat the well-known figure of the King’s second son. But what was there that caused a murmur of surprise, of wonder, as he passed along ? Was that really the Prince, whom they had known from childhood ? Why was he carried high as the centre of the procession, while King and Hierophant walked humbly beside him? What was this new stateliness, this unknown dignity, this gaze, so piercing yet so tender, that swept across the crowd? Not thus had held himself, not thus had looked at them, the Prince who had grown up among them.
The procession swept on and entered the huge courtyard of the Temple, crowded with people in the many-coloured garments of festival days, when each wore a mantle of the colour of his ruling planet ; down the sides of the steps which rose to
the platform in front of the great door of the
Temple were ranged the priests in long white
garments, and rainbow-coloured over-robes of silk ; in the midst of the platform an altar had been erected, and on it wood was piled, and fragrant gums, and incense, but no smoke arose — for the pile, to the people’s surprise, was unlighted.
The procession passed on to the foot of the steps, and there all halted, save the three central figures ; they ascended the steps, the King and the Hierophant placing themselves to the right and left of the
300 MAN : WHENCE, HOW AND WHITHER
altar, and the Prince, who was the Mahaguru, in the centre, behind it.
Then Surya, the Hierophant, spoke to the priests and to the people, telling them that He who stood there behind the altar was no longer the Prince they had known, but that He was the Messenger from the Most High and from the Sons of the Fire who dwelt in the far East, whence their forefathers had come forth. That He had brought Their word to Their children, to which all should yield reverence and obedience, and he bade them listen while the great Messen¬ ger spake in Their Name. As the Head of their faith, he humbly bade Him welcome.
Then over the listening throng rang the silver voice of the Mahaguru, and none there was who could not hear it as though spoken to him alone. He told them that He had come from the Sons of the Fire, the Lords of the Flame, who dwelt in the sacred City of the White Island, in far Shamballa. He brought them a revela¬ tion from Them, a symbol which should ever keep Them in their minds. He told them how the Fire was the purest of all elements and the purifier of all things, and that thereafter it should be for them the symbol of the Holiest. That the Fire was embodied in the Sun in the heavens, and burned, though hidden, in the heart of man. It was heat, it was light, it was health and strength, and in it and by it all had life and motion. And much He told them of its deep meaning, and how in all things they should see the hidden presence of the Fire.
THE THIRD SUB-RACE, THE IRANIAN 301
Then He lifted up His right hand, and be¬ hold ! there shone in it a Rod, as of lightning held in bondage, yet shooting out its flashes on every side ; and He pointed the Rod to the East of the Heavens, and cried some words aloud in an unknown tongue ; and the heavens became one sheet of flame, and Fire fell blazing down upon the altar, and a Star shone out above His Head and seemed to bathe Him in its radiance. And all the priests and the people fell upon their faces, and Surya and the King bowed down in homage at His feet, and the clouds of fragrant smoke from the altar veiled the three for a few moments from sight.
Then, with His hand upraised in blessing, the Mahaguru descended the steps, and He, with the King and the Hierophant, returned with the procession to the Palace whence they had come. And the people marvelled greatly and rejoiced, because the Gods of their forefathers had remembered them, and had sent them the Word of Peace. And they carried home the flowers which had rained down upon them from the sky when the Fire had passed, and kept them in their shrines as precious heirlooms for their descendants.
The Mahaguru remained for a considerable time in the city, going daily to the Temple to instruct the priests ; He taught them that Fire and water were the purifiers of all else, and must never be polluted, and that even the water was purified by the Fire; that all fire was the Fire of the Sun, and was in all things and might be released as fire ; that out of the Fire and out of the water all things come, for the Fire and the
302 MAN: WHENCE, HOW AND WHI7iHER
water were the two Spirits, Fire being life and water form. 1
The Mahaguru had round Him a quite august assemblage of Masters, and others less advanced. He left these to carry on His teaching when He departed.
His departure was as dramatic as His first preaching.
The people were gathered together to hear Him preach, as He was wont to do occasionally, and they knew not that it was for the last time. He stood, as before, on the great platform, but there was no altar. He preached, inculcating the duty of gaining knowledge and of practising love, and bade them follow and obey Surya, whom He left in His place as Teacher. And then He told them that He was going, and He blessed them, and lifting up His arms to the eastern sky He called aloud ; and out of the sky came down a whirling cloud of flame, and enwrapped Him as He stood, and then, whirling still, it shot upwards and fled eastwards, and — He was gone.
Then the people fell on their faces and cried out that He was a God, and they exulted exceedingly that He had lived among them ; but the King was very sad, and mourned for His departure many days. And Mercury, who, in his subtle body, had ever remained near Him, at His service, returned with Him to the Holy Ones, and rested for awhile in peace.
1 Possibly out of this arose the later teaching of Ormuzd and Ahriman. There are passages which show that the double of Ormuzd was not originally an evil power, but rather matter, while Ormuzd was Spirit.
THE THIRD SUB-RACE, THE IRANIAN 303
After He had gone, Star-worship did not at once disappear, for the people regarded His teach¬ ing as a reform, not as a substitution, and still worshipped the Moon, and Venus, and the con¬ stellations, and the planets ; but the Fire was held sacred as the image, the emblem, and the being of the Sun, and the new religion rather enfolded the old one than replaced it. Gradually the Faith of the Fire grew stronger and stronger ; Star-worship retreated from Persia to Mesopotamia, where it re¬ mained the dominant faith, and took a very scientific form. Astrology there reached its zenith, and scientifically guided human affairs, both public and private. Its priests possessed much occult knowledge, and the wisdom of the Magi became famed throughout the East. In Persia, the Religion of the Fire triumphed, and later Prophets carried on the work of the great Zarathustra, and built up the Zoroastrian Faith and its literature ; it has endured down to our own day.
The third sub-race numbered about a million souls when they settled down in Persia and Mesopotamia, and they multiplied rapidly under the favourable conditions of their new home, and also incorporated in their nation the sparse population which existed in the country when they entered it.
In the twenty-eight thousand years of the Persian Empire there were naturally many fluctuations ; most of the time Persia and Mesopotamia were under separate rulers, of whom sometimes the one, sometimes the other, was nominally Overlord; sometimes the two countries were split up into smaller States, owing a kind of loose feudal allegiance to the central King. All
304 MAN: WHENCE, HOW AND WHITHER
through their history they had constantly recurring difficulties with the nomad Mongolians on one hand, and the mountaineers of Kurdistan and the Hindu Kush on the other. Sometimes the Iranians drew back for a time before these tribes ; sometimes they pushed the frontier of civilisation further for¬ ward, and drove the savages back. At one period they ruled most of Asia Minor, and made temporary settlements in several of the countries bordering the Mediterranean ; at one time they held Cyprus, Rhodes and Crete ; but on the whole in that part of the world the Atlantean power was too strong for them, and they avoided conflict with it. At this western boundary of their kingdom powerful Scythian and Hittite confederations disputed their dominion at various points of their history ; once at least they conquered Syria, but seem to have found it a useless acquisition and soon abandoned it; and twice they embroiled themselves with Egypt, against which they could do but little. During most of this long period they kept up a high level of civilisation, and many relics of their mighty architecture lie buried beneath desert sands. Various dynasties arose 'among them, and several different languages prevailed in the course of their chequer¬ ed history. They avoided hostilities with India, being separated from it by a wild territory — a sort of no-man’s-land ; Arabia troubled them but little, for there again a useful belt of desert inter¬ vened. They were great traders, merchants, manu¬ facturers — a much more settled people than the second sub-race, and with more definite religious ideas. The best specimens of the Parsls of the present
THE THIRD SUB-RACE, THE IRANIAN 305
day give a fair idea of their appearance. The present inhabitants of Persia have still much of their blood in them, though largely commingled with that of their Arab conquerors. The Kurds, the Afghans, and the Baluchis are also mainly descended from them, though with various admixtures.
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