The Chronology of the millennium of Zaraθuštra, (re-)formulated in the early Sasanian period, is based upon the following royal and religious items:
1. Royal
1.1. The genealogy of the Kavi-dynasty
(Skt. kaví- ‘seer, sage, poet, prophet’, Av. kavi-/kavay- ‘priest; king’, Pers. kay, Parth. kav. Av. kāvayas-ca (Pers. kayān/ kavān) was rendered by Arab. الکيانية , or الجبابرة .)
There are two lists: One gives the names of eight Kavi, in a fixed order ): (cf. Yt 13.132, Yt 19.71, 77)
Kavi Kavāta | |||
Kavi Aipi.vohu | |||
Kavi Usaδan | Kavi Aršan | Kavi Pisinah | Kavi Byaršan |
Kavi Syāvaršan | |||
Kavi Haosravah | |||
(Āxrūra) |
The other mentions, separately, Kavi Vīštāspa (cf. Yt 13.99-100, Yt 5.108), son of Aurvat̰.aspa (cf. Yt 5.105).
The list given in the Bundahišn (cf. Bd 232) includes an original tradition:
Luhrāsp (= Aurvat̰.aspa), son of Uzya, of *Mānūša, of Kavi Pisinah, of Kavi Aipi.vohu. Thus, the “petty king” Vīštāspa is connected to the glorious Kavi-dynasty. The extant Avesta is silent about the period which follows the kingship of Vīštāspa.
The Dēnkird vii speaks of *Vohumanah, the successor of Vīštāspa thus: « Such as Vohumanah, son of Spǝṇtōδāta (son of Vīštāspa), among the kings, about whom it is said in the Avesta this: Vohumanah, the straight, the most efficient in challenging among those who worship Ahura Mazdā.» (Dk vii M 650). But the Bundahišn describes the kingship of Vohumanah the period of political decadence and disintegration (Bd 214.).
The genealogical table of the Bundahišn attributes several sons to Aurvat̰.aspa, of whom two only are mentioned: Vīštāspa and Zairi.vari. It gives the names of the two sons of Vīštāspa, namely, Spǝṇtōδāta and Pišīśyaoθna, and the names of the three sons of Spǝṇtōδāta, that is, *Vohumanah, /*Ātǝrǝ-tǝrǝsa(h)/, and /*Miθrō.tǝrǝsa(h)/.
According to the Avesta, Vīštāspa conducts battles with the Hiyonian Arǝjat̰.aspa, and with two (other) followers of the Daēva, Daršinika and Spinjauruška, and brings back home Humāyā and Vāriδkanā from the Hiyonian lands (Yt 9.30-31, Yt 17.50-51). In a fragment of the Kavian epic, survived in Parthian, Humāyā is Vīštāspa’s daughter (AZ 77) After Vohumanah, she succeeds to the throne of the Aryan lordship; and since, in the list of rulers, she is mentioned after Vohumanah –the relatively recent sources have made her his daughter (Bd 240.), and also his wife.
1.2. The chronology of kings
The Parthians maintained the older form counting from the anticipated accession of Seleucus I in the late autumn or early winter of 312, based on a 19-year cycle of 12 ordinary years of 12 lunar months and 7 intercalary years of 13 lunar months. The Seleucid era was called, by the Parthians, “Former” era (πρότερος ≈ Pers. pēšēnag), and by the non-Aryans the era “Alexander”, and occasionally also “of the Greeks”.
The Seleucid era in the cuneiform documents of the last centuries B.C. and in a number of Aramaic and Syriac texts was Nisannu-epoch, following Babylonian tradition. As it is said by Jacob (/Aphraates): «The first month, that is Nisannu, is the month of flowers, the first month of the year.»
The Seleucid era in the Greek (and some Aramaic) inscriptions was Tašrītu-epoch, following Macedonian tradition. The epoch dates of the Seleucid era are:
SB 1 Nisannu 1 = Kaliyuga day 1 019 458 = April 3, 311 B.C.
SM 1 TaSrItu 1 = Kaliyuga day 1 019 274 = October 1, 312 B.C.
1.2.1.
The Parthians introduced an era of their own, called the “Royal” era (βασίλειος ≈ Pers. šāhagān), and adopted, at the same time, the luni-solar calendar attributed to the Paraδāta-dynasty, the first year of which began on 247 B.C., in the spring (the first month of the year was Daδv, Av. daδvāh/ daθuš). The Arsacid Era differed, nearly, 64 years from the Seleucid era B, and 64/65 years from the Seleucid era M.
It is possible that the date of the first year after Alexander’s murder of Darius III was remembered by the Magi, and they did count years from that date, such that, after the end of the Sasanian period, again, the Magi counted years from the year twenty of Yazdegird (pas az sāl vīst ī yazdegird), called the Pārsīg Era (sāl pārsīg), or the Magian era (Berōnī, Vestiges, VI, 115: تاريخ المجوس).
1.2.2.
The Persians, in the Sasanian period, as did the Old Persians, dated by the regnal years of the king, beginning the calculated year (i.e. the year of twelve 30 day months, with an added 5 epagomenal days) on Fravardīn (Av. fravaṣinąm), day of Ohrmazd (Av. Ahura Mazdā). As it is said in the Dēnkird (Dk iii M 403):
ud sāg ī sālān, māhān ud rōzān ī abar zīg ī axtarān, zāyišn ī mardōm, sālmar ī xvadāyān, cand-uzīd ī sālān ī az bundahišn ī andar dast ī amaragān, zamān ī meyān mardōmān abar pašn stad ud dād dādestānīhā ped ušmurdīg sāl peyvast.
‘The calculation of the years, months and days on the astronomical tables, the horoscopes of people, the chronology of kings, the year table from the initial creation which is in the hand of all (the people), the times fixed, according to law, between people over contracts and transactions are connected with the calculated year.’
They introduced a dynastic era the (only) example of which is the bilingual (Parthian and Persic) inscription of Šābuhr on a pillar found in the ruins of the Sasanian town Šābuhr:
“(In) the year 58, month of Fravardīn, (which is) the year 40 of the sacred fire of Ardašēr, the year 24 of the sacred fire of Šābuhr, the king of the sacred fires.”
Therefore, the early Sasanians continued the counting of the regnal years of Ardašēr in Persis after assuming the royal title of the king of kings. The year 19 of Ardašēr was the first year of his solemn enthronement, in 538 SB (that is, 227 A.D.), and the epochal year was 520 SB (= 209 A.D.).
1.2.3.
Besides, there existed another calendar in use, with a year of twelve months of 30 days each plus 5 epagomenal days (panz rōz ī gāhānīg or andar-gāh, or panz rōz ī truftag), and one intercalary month, (allegedly) every 120 years (sāl ī zamān-vihēzagīg). The year began with the (nearly) spring equinox, month of Day (Av. daδvāh). See: The date of Mani’s death; The date of Anāhid’s death.
2. Religious
2.1. The Finite Time
The Finite Time (Av. zrvān- darǝγō.xvaδāta-, Pers. zamān ī dagrand-xvadāy ≈ zamān ī kanāragumand) of the Magi consists of the cosmic year (Av. yār-) of four seasons (Av. aiβi.gāma-, Pers. āvām) of 3000 years each, and each millennium corresponds to a sign of the Zodiac.
- āfurišn … dahišn…gumēzišn…
- āfurišn ‘(spiritual) creation’
The first period of the cosmic age is that of creating spiritually (Av. ā-frī, afrīn-ā-’, Pers. āfrīn-/ āfrīdan, āfur- )
Dk iii M 202
āfurišn ēvāz ī dām fradum ped mēnōgīh, <ī> ast māyag ud tōhmag mēnōgīg ud ped nirōg gētīg-nimāyišn.
The āfurišn of the creatures is, singly and first, in the spiritual state, i.e. the seed or ὕλη, being spiritually, exposes, in potentia, the material world.
Signs: Aries (Pers. varrag); Taurus (gāv); Gemini (dopehikar).
Months: Daθuš (Pers. day); Vohu Manah (vahman); Spǝṇtā Ārmaiti (spendārmed).
- dahišn ‘(material) creation
The second is the corporeal creation (Av. dā, dāya-/ daya- ‘to place; give’, Pers. day-, dah-/ dādan ‘to give; create materially’).
Dk iii M 203
dahišn ī ēvāz ī dām az mēnōgīh ō gētīgīh vardēnīdan, ud ast dēsag az māyag ī-š ped nirōg būd.
The dahišn of the creatures is the conversion of them, singly, from the spiritual state to the material state, i.e. (to) the form or εἶδος from the matter which existed in potentia.
During this period of “3000 years, creatures were corporeal but motionless.” (si-hazār sāl dām tanumand ud a-frāz-raftār būd. VZ 1.26)
Signs: Cancer (karzang; < Pers. sar-tan); Leo (šagr); Virgo or Spica (hōšag).
Months: Fravaṣinąm (fravardīn); Aṣa Vahišta (urdvahišt); Haurvatāt (hurdad).
- gumēzišn (or gumēzagīh) ‘(state of) mixture’
The third is the state of Mixture, produced by the Attack (Av. aiβi.gaiti-, Pers. ebgad) of Aŋra Mańyu to the primeval Bull and the Primeval Man.
The first millennium goes up to the Death of Yima; the bad rule of Aži Dahāka is in the second; the third, that of the heroic age, begins with the rule of Θraētaona, and ends when Vīštāspa ruled for thirty years.
Signs: Libra (tarāzūg); Scorpio (gazdum); Sagittarius (nēmasp).
Months: Tištrya (tīr); Amǝrǝtāt (amurdad); Xšaθra Vairya (šahrever).
The fourth is the “eschatological” age that goes from the acceptance of the Daēnā by Zaraθuštra up to the coming of the maker of the Future Body (i.e. Astvat̰.ǝrǝta) and the eschatological renovation of the existence (i.e. frašō.kǝrǝiti). The first millennium is that of the religion (daēnā). The second is that of Uxšyat̰.ǝrǝta. The third is that of Uxšyat̰.nǝmah. Toward the end of this millennium, the last saośyaṇt, that is Astvat̰.ǝrǝta, is born to bring about the world to its original state.
Signs: Capricornus (vahīg; Armen. bzasar < Pers. buze-sar); Aquarius (dōl); Pisces (māhīg).
Months: Miθra (mihr); Apąm Napāt (ābān; +Apomenapa in the Cappadocian calendar); Āθr/ Ātar (ādur).
The Zand of the Vīdēvdād (Vd 2.19 Z ) reports the summing-up of world ages thus:
Ohrmazd ēn dām si-hazār sāl mēnōg-ēstišn dāšt; si-hazār sāl gētīg-ēstišn abedyārag; si-hazār sāl az pedyārag ō dām madan dā dēn madan; ud si-hazār sāl az dēn madan dā tan ī pasēn.
‘Ahura Mazdā maintained this creation 3000 years in the spiritual state; 3000 years in the material state without Adversary; 3000 years from the coming of the Adversary to the creation till the coming of the Religion; and 3000 years from the coming of the Religion till the Future Body.’
A millennium also is divided into four ages, three of 300 years each, and a connection (*pati-banda- ≈ Skt. saṃdhi) of 100 years.
The four ages, symbolized as golden, silver, steel and iron branches on a tree, represent the three(-four) functions (Av. pištra-) of the Aryan society.
Each millennium, in the Mixture, stages the symbolic story of a twin (or, a number of twins):
In the first millennium in the Mixture, Gaya Marǝtān and Gao, Maṣya and Maṣyānīō, Yima and Yimī; In the millennium of Zaraθuštra, xšaθra (‘royal power, kingdom’) and daēnā (‘conscience, religion’).