主题：Anahit是谁。问一个亚美尼亚的问题 -- 暗香疏影月黄昏

Anahit (Armenian: ??????) was the goddess of fertility and healing, wisdom and water in Armenian mythology. In early periods she was the goddess of war. By the 3rd century BC she was the main deity in Armenia along with Mithras.

在亚美尼亚神话中，Anahit是代表丰饶和治愈，智慧和水的女神。在早期，她也是战争之神。到了公元前三世纪，她和密特拉一道成为亚美尼亚的主神。

The historian Berossus identifies Anahit with Aphrodite, while medieval Armenian scribes identify her with Artemis.[citation needed] According to Strabo, Anahit's worship was dedicated to prostitution, while king Trdat extolls the: great Lady Anahit, the glory of our nation and vivifier . . .; mother of all chastity, and issue of the great and valiant Aramazd. In Armenia, Anahit-worship was established in Erez, Armavir, Artashat and Ashtishat.[citation needed] A mountain in Sophene district was known as Anahit's throne (Athor Anahta). The entire district of Erez, in the province of Akilisene (Ekeghiats), was called Anahtakan Gavar.

历史学家Berossus将Anahit定义为阿芙洛狄特，在整个中世纪，亚美尼亚的抄写员们将她定义为阿尔特弥斯。根据Strabo的说法，Anahit的崇拜通常献身于灵魂（？），当Trdat王赞美道：伟大的女性Anahit，永远照耀我的民族并给予我们力量；贞洁之母，给予我们伟大和勇敢（？）。在亚美尼亚，Anahit崇拜建立于Erez，Armavir，Artashat，Ashtishat。位于Sophene的Athor Anahta山被认为是Anahit的王座。Akilisene省的整个Erez被称为Anahtakan Gavar。

Commemorative coin issued by the Central Bank of Armenia devoted to Goddess Anahit

The temple of Erez was the wealthiest and the noblest in Armenia, according to Plutarch. During the expedition of Mark Antony in Armenia, the statue was broken to pieces by the Roman soldiers. Pliny the Elder gives us the following story about it: The Emperor Augustus, being invited to dinner by one of his generals, asked him if it were true that the wreckers of Anahit's statue had been punished by the wrathful goddess. No! answered the general, on the contrary, I have to?day the good fortune of treating you with one part of the hip of that gold statue. The Armenians erected a new golden statue of Anahit in Erez, which was worshiped before the time of St. Gregory Illuminator. Religious prostitution, if it had existed at some previous period, seems to have been suppressed before that date. The annual festivity of the month Navasard, held in honor of Anahit, was the occasion of great gatherings, attended with dance, music, recitals, competitions, etc. The sick went to the temples in pilgrimage, asking for recovery. The symbol of ancient Armenian medicine was the head of the bronze gilded statue of the goddess Anahit, which is currently in the British Museum.

亚美尼亚中央银行所发行的纪念钱币用于纪念Anahit女神。

根据普鲁塔克的记述，Erez神庙是整个亚美尼亚最华丽最高贵的神庙。马克安东尼远征亚美尼亚，这些雕像被罗马士兵破坏。老人们（？）给我们如下的故事：奥古斯特皇帝受邀出席一个将军举办的宴会，他问这个将军，破坏Anahit女神的雕像是否会被神怒惩罚。这个将军回答：不！相反，总有一天，我将会为Anahit树立一个更好的金质雕像。

亚美尼亚人在Erez树立起一个新的Anahit金质雕像。在格里高利教皇到来之前，他们一直崇拜这个雕像。在早期，虔诚的圣妓曾经存在，但是之后又被压制。Navasard向Anahit致敬的年度庆典是跳舞，音乐，朗诵，竞赛的一个大型聚会的场合。病人们通常要去寺庙朝圣，祈求康复。亚美尼亚古代医学的象征是一个青铜镀金的Anahit女神头像，目前在英国博物馆。

The name corresponds to Avestan Anahita, a similar divine figure.

名字相应的Avestan Anahita，一个相似的神圣象征。

新的问题出现了，安娜希德（Anahid, Anahita）是个什么东东？答曰：她是古波斯神话中，掌管淡水的女神，进而引申为负责庄稼丰收、牲畜繁殖的女神，如果再往上追溯，她是从印度来的外来户。这不难理解，波斯人和印度人（高级种姓）都是雅利安人的后代，同属印欧语系，所以印度和波斯这两大文明有很多暗合的地方。在祆教的圣经《阿维斯陀》中，安娜希德也有她的位置。换句话说，安娜希德是祆教的众多神祗之一。虽然在祆教的发展过程中，她的地位与大多数神祗一样，逐渐被淡化。而圣火是祆教的最重要标识，所以负责守护安娜希德神庙圣火的萨珊，其实就是祆教的世袭祭司。

这个伊什塔克尔城（Istakhr，Estakhr）也得好好说说，该城在法尔斯境内，第一波斯帝国的发祥地--波斯波利斯以北五公里左右，位于印度河流域经锡斯坦去往两河流域的商路上，早在第一波斯帝国，就已经是个很繁华的城市。从名字的拼法看，应该与女神伊什塔尔（Ishtar）有千丝万缕的联系。伊什塔尔是巴比伦、亚述神话中最重要的女神，没有之一。她象征着金星（希腊神话中的阿弗萝蒂特或维纳斯），主管爱情（还是阿弗萝蒂特）、生育和丰收（土地神德米特尔）、战争和智慧（女战神、智慧女神雅典娜）。希腊人则认为，她就是希腊神话中的月神兼狩猎神阿尔忒弥斯（即戴安娜），所以她安娜希德一个神，顶希腊神话中的四个半女神，另半个是天后赫拉，占希腊十二大神的三分之一强。

说到这，列位看官应该发现伊什塔尔和安娜希德的职能很相似，虽然一个来自闪族的巴比伦，一个来自印度。恰好伊什塔克尔城处于这两大文明区之间，东西两大女神肯定互有影响，互相渗透，如果时间足够长的话，应该会融合为一个神。如果我们想象力更丰富些，也许还会联想到观音菩萨。事实上，著名伊朗学家玛丽博伊斯教授（Mary Boyce），就认为巴比伦的伊什塔尔被阿黑门尼德王朝的祆教僧侣们引入祆教教义中，与安娜希德合并为一个神。