The cult of Mithras arose in Iran and long persisted in its homeland despite the militant opposition of the followers of Zoroaster. But by the time Mithraism reached Rome, it had become greatly improved by the absorption of many of Zoroaster’s teachings. It was chiefly through the Mithraic cult that Zoroaster’s religion exerted an influence upon later appearing Christianity.
Close in meaning, found by a language model. A match does not mean the teachings are the same.
King Astyages was gathered to his fathers, and Cyrus the Persian received his kingdom. Daniel lived with the king, and was honored above all his friends.
He proceeded to Egypt, grew worse in wickedness through his previously mentioned companions in wine, who were lost to all goodness, and not satisfied with countless acts of impiety, his audacity so increased that he raised evil reports there, and many of his friends, watching his purpose attentively, joined in furthering his will. His purpose was to inflict a public stigma upon our race. Therefore he erected a stone pillar in the courtyard, and caused the following inscription to be engraved upon it: “Entrance to this temple is to be refused to all those who would not sacrifice. All the Jews were to be registered among the slaves. Those who resisted are to be forcibly seized and put to death. Those who are thus registered are to be marked on their persons by the ivy-leaf symbol of Dionysus, and to be reduced to these limited rights.” To do away with the appearance of hating them all, he had it written underneath, that if any of them should elect to enter the community of those initiated in the rites, these should have equal rights with the Alexandrians.
As he said this, they brought him to the wheel. Extended upon this, with limbs racked and dislocated, he was gradually roasted from beneath. Having heated sharp spits, they approached them to his back; and having transfixed his sides, they burned away his entrails. He, while tormented, said, “O good and holy contest, in which for the sake of religion, we kindred have been called to the arena of pain, and have not been conquered. For religious understanding, O tyrant, is unconquered. Armed with upright virtue, I also will depart with my kindred. I, too, bearing with me a great avenger, O inventor of tortures, and enemy of the truly pious. We six youths have destroyed your tyranny. For isn’t your inability to overrule our reasoning, and to compel us to eat the unclean, your destruction? Your fire is cold to us. Your racks are painless, and your violence harmless. For the guards not of a tyrant but of a divine law are our defenders. Through this we keep our reasoning unconquered.”