magoi

Magoi is the plural form of the Greek word magos, meaning “wise man” or “magician.” The term was borrowed from the Old Iranian Magi, who were priest-sages of the Zoroastrian religion and served as religious advisors to Persian kings. In Persian society the Magi were respected for their knowledge of religious rites, astrology, and sacred law. They played a key role in state rituals, administering omens, and overseeing the interpretation of divine will in political affairs.

The Greeks first recorded the Magi in the 6th century BCE. Herodotus describes them as noble counselors of Cyrus the Great and later as a privileged caste within the Persian empire. The Greeks and Romans traditionally associated the Magi with horoscopic divination and magical practices, which led to a somewhat mixed reputation: both revered as scholars and feared as sorcerers. In Roman literature the magoi were often portrayed as foreign mystics who wielded dramatic influence over state power.

The story of the Magi in the Christian New Testament, as the “Wise Men of the East” who visit the infant Jesus, illustrates the cross-cultural propagation of the term. The New Testament passage amplified the image of the magoi as travelers guided by celestial signs. Scholars attribute the use of the term to the mingling of Greek and Persian religious traditions in the period.

In modern times, the word magoi appears mainly in academic contexts discussing ancient Persia, religious history, or in literature where the image of a “wise man” is invoked. The name has also been adopted in various modern fictional settings as an evocative term for mystic or sage-like characters.