AHRIMAN The closest that Egyptian mythology comes to the Devil, Ahriman was regarded as the antithesis of the gods of Egypt, the personification of darkness and evil, and the eternal enemy of the highest and most exalted Egyptian god, Ormuzd. These two are, in fact, not so much considered as gods, but as pure spiritual beings, perhaps the fathers of the Egyptian gods that followed. In Persian mythology, too, Ahriman is seen as the personification of evil, leading the dark forces against the hosts of Spenta Mainya, the holy spirit, who assisted Ahura Mazdah, the wise lord, and final victor of the cosmic conflict.