▁Among ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁was ▁the ▁historian ▁Her odot us , ▁who ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁má go i ▁were ▁one ▁of ▁seven ▁Med ian ▁tribes ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁served ▁as ▁function aries ▁at ▁the ▁court ▁of ▁the ▁A cha emen id ▁Empire , ▁where ▁they ▁acted ▁as ▁advis ers ▁to ▁the ▁king . ▁According ▁to ▁Her odot us , ▁these ▁Pers ian ▁má go i ▁were ▁also ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁various ▁religious ▁r ites , ▁namely ▁sacrific es ▁and ▁the ▁interpretation ▁of ▁dream s . ▁ ▁The ▁Mag i ▁travel led ▁far ▁beyond ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁and ▁the ▁Lev ant . ▁They ▁were ▁present ▁in ▁India ▁by ▁at ▁least ▁the ▁first ▁century ▁B CE , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁Eth iop ia , ▁Egypt , ▁and ▁throughout ▁Asia ▁Minor . ▁Many ▁ancient ▁sources ▁claim ▁they ▁were ▁Zar ath ust ri ans , ▁or ▁that ▁Zar ath ust ra , ▁who ▁may ▁have ▁lived ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 1 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁was ▁himself ▁a ▁Mag u š ; ▁according ▁to ▁sin ologist ▁Victor ▁H . ▁M air , ▁they ▁arrived ▁in ▁China ▁at ▁around ▁this ▁time . ▁I ly a ▁G ers he v itch ▁has ▁described ▁them ▁as ▁" a ▁professional ▁priest hood ▁to ▁whom ▁Zar ath ust rian ism ▁was ▁merely ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁forms ▁of ▁religion ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁minister ed ▁against ▁payment , ▁much ▁as ▁a ▁professional ▁music ian ▁ear ns ▁his ▁living ▁by ▁performing ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁different ▁compos ers ".