Religions and Religious Movements (I)

One of the principal religions of the Sassanid Empire was Zoroastrianism, a religion that emerged from the third century onwards under royal patronage and protection. Central to the religion was the cult of fire; Zoroastrians worshiped in fire temples throughout Persia, although different practices were popular elsewhere. Its rival religion in Persia was Manichaeism, a major gnostic cult founded by Mani, (who was executed by the emperor in 276 AD,) and Christianity and Buddhism also had a small following in Persia in this period.