Byzantine art usually depicts the Magi in Persian clothing which includes breeches, capes, and Phrygian caps. Mosaic, ca. 565. Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy – restored above in the 18th century.

The Magi referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings were, in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.

The Magi are popularly referred to as wise men and kings. The word magi is the plural of Latin magus, borrowed from Greek magos, as used in the original Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew.

Greek magos itself is derived from Old Persian maguŝ from the Avestan magâunô, i.e., the religious caste into which Zoroaster was born. The term refers to the priestly caste of Zoroastrianism.