Mani (c. CE 216–276), of Iranian origin, is the prophet and the founder of Manichaeism, a gnostic religion of Late Antiquity which was once widespread but is now extinct.

Mani is born in or near Seleucia-Ctesiphon in Asuristan (Assyria), at the time still part of the Parthian Empire.

Six of his major works are written in Syriac Aramaic and the seventh, dedicated to the king of the empire, Shapur I, is written in Middle Persian.

He dies in Gundeshapur, under the Sassanid Empire.