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The Behistun inscription



Relief at Behistun. Photo Ab Langereis.�The Behistun relief
 Behistun or Bisotun: town in Iran, site of several ancient monuments, including a famous inscription by the Persian king Darius I the Great (522- 486 BCE), the great organizer of the Achaemenid empire.

On these pages, you can find drawings, a translitteration and an adapted version of the King/Thompson translation of the inscription.
Ancient-Warfare.com, the online home of Ancient Warfare magazine
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Column 1, lines 1-8

  1. \ adam \ D�rayavauš \ xš�yathiya \ vazraka \ xš�yatha \ xš�yathiy
  2. �n�m \ xš�yathiya \ P�rsaiy \ xš�yathiya \ dahy�n�m \ Višt
  3. �spahy� \ pu�a \ Arš�mahy� nap� \ Hax�manišiya \ th�tiy \
  4. D�rayavauš \ xš�yathiya \ man� \ pit� \ Višt�spa \ Višt�spahy� \ pit� \ Arš
  5. �ma \ Arš�mahy� \ pit� \ Ariy�ramna \ Ariy�ramnahy� \ pit�\ Cišpiš \ Cišp
  6. �iš \ pit� \ Hax�maniš \ th�tiy \ D�rayavauš \ xš�thiya \ avahyar�
  7. diy \ vayam \ Hax�manišiy� \ thahy�mahy \ hac� \ paruviyata \ �m�t� \ ama
  8. hy hac� \ paruviyata \hy� \am�xam \ taum� \ xš�yathiy� \ �ha \ th
Darius the Great on the Behistun Relief. Photo Peter Veerman.
Darius
 (1) I am Darius, the great king, king of kings, the king of Persia, the king of countries, the son of Hystaspes, the grandson of Arsames, the Achaemenid.

(2) King Darius says: My father is Hystaspes; the father of Hystaspes was Arsames; the father of Arsames was Ariaramnes; the father of Ariaramnes was Teispes; the father of Teispes was Achaemenes.

(3) King Darius says: That is why we are called Achaemenids; from antiquity we have been noble; from antiquity has our dynasty been royal.




to Column 1, lines 9-17



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