Ostanes

Ostanes is a legendary figure, a Persian magus and alchemist, whose name was used as a pen-name by several pseudo-anonymous authors of Greek and Latin works. These works emerged from the Hellenistic period onwards. Ostanes belongs to a group of 'Hellenistic Magians,' similar to Pseudo-Zoroaster and Pseudo-Hystaspes, who wrote under the names of famous Persian religious figures. While Pseudo-Zoroaster was associated with astrology and Pseudo-Hystaspes with prophecy, Ostanes was imagined as a master sorcerer. Unlike 'Zoroaster' and 'Hystaspes,' there is no evidence of a historical figure named Ostanes in Iranian tradition. Reconstructions of the Old Iranian name suggest it might be * (H)uštāna. Historical sources like Diodorus Siculus and Plutarch mention individuals named Ostanes as sons of Darius II, and Arrian records a figure named Austanes. However, it remains uncertain which, if any, of these references gave rise to the legend of the alchemical magus. The Greeks attributed 'alien wisdom' to famous foreigners, and Ostanes became a prominent name in this tradition. Pliny the Elder, in his *Natural History*, identifies 'Zoroaster' as the inventor of magic but assigns the introduction of 'the most fraudulent of the arts' to Ostanes. Pliny states that Ostanes accompanied Xerxes in his invasion of Greece and introduced magic to the country. However, Pliny also notes Ostanes as a contemporary of Alexander the Great, highlighting the legendary and composite nature of the figure. According to Pliny, Ostanes's influence led to a 'lust' and 'madness' for magic among the Greeks, influencing philosophers like Pythagoras, Empedocles, Democritus, and Plato. Pliny also recorded Ostanes's definition of magic, which included divination through various means and communication with spirits. By the end of the 1st century CE, Ostanes was cited as an authority on alchemy, necromancy, and divination, with his reputation and attributed literary output growing over time. By the 4th century, he was a major authority in alchemy, and much medieval alchemical material circulated under his name. This authority also extended into Arabic and Persian alchemical literature.