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Livius Picture Archive: texts XPc and A3Pa
Unless otherwise indicated, pictures on this page © Marco Prins and Jona Lendering. Photos can be downloaded and used for non-commercial purposes, but you have to acknowledge Livius.
There are several Achaemenid Royal inscriptions in the Palace of Darius in Persepolis. On this webpage, you will find two of them: XPc and A3Pa.

The pillar to the left, which is the east pillar of the southern portico of Darius' palace, shows the first one. This column must have carried the roof of the entrance hall. The inscription was added by Xerxes and is therefore known as XPc. Translations into Elamite and Babylonian can be seen below the first Old Persian text.  The second picture shows the same inscription, on the west pillar. A third copy can be read on the south wall of the terrace on which the palace is built.
XPc. Photo Marco Prins.
  1. baga \ vazraka \ Auramazdâ \ hya \ imâm \ bûmim \
  2. adâ \ hya \ avam \ asmânam \ adâ \ hya \ marti
  3. yam \ adâ \ hya \ šiyâtim \ adâ \ martiyahyâ
  4. \ hya \ Xšayâršâm \ XŠm \ akunauš \ aivam \ pa
  5. runâm \ XŠm \ aivam \ parûnâm \ framâtâram
  6. \ adam \ Xšayâršâ \ XŠ \ vazraka \ XŠ \ XŠânâm \ XŠ \
  7. dahyûnâm \ paruv \ zanânâm \ XŠ \ ahyâyâ \ b
  8. umiyâ \ vazrakâyâ \ dûraiy \ apiy \ Dârayava
  9. hauš \ XŠhyâ \ puça \ Haxâmanišiya \ thâtiy \ X
  10. šayâršâ \ XŠ \ vazraka \ vašnâ \ Aurahya Mazdâha \ i
  11. ma \ hadiš \ Dârayavauš \ XŠ \ akunauš \ hya \ manâ \
  12. pitâ \ mâm \ Auramazdâ \ pâtuv \ hadâ \ baga
  13. ibiš \ upâ \ tyamaiy \ kartam \ utâ \ tyamaiy \
  14. piça \ Dârayavahauš \ XŠhyâ \ kartam \ avašciy
  15. \ Auramazdâ \ pâtuv \ hadâ \ bagaibiš
A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this world, who created yonder sky, who created mankind, who created happiness for mankind, who made Xerxes king. One king for many, one leader of many.

I am Xerxes, the great king, the king of kings, the king all kinds of people with all kinds of origins, king of this world great and wide, the son of king Darius, the Achaemenid.

The great king Xerxes says: By the grace of Ahuramazda, my father, king Darius built this palace.

May Ahuramazda together with the gods protect me, and what I built, and what was built by my father, king Darius. May Ahuramazda and the other gods protect this.

The second inscription was added in the mid-fourth century to the newly-built western staircase of the Palace of Darius by Artaxerxes III Ochus. It is called A3Pa.
  1. baga \ vazraka \ Auramazdâ \ hya \
  2. imâm \ bumâm \ adâ \ hya \ a
  3. vam \ asmânâm \ adâ \ hya \ marti
  4. yam \ adâ \ hya \ šâyatâm \ adâ \ marti
  5. ihyâ \ hya \ mâm \ Artaxšaçâ \ xšâya
  6. thiya \ akunauš \ aivam \ parûvnâm \
  7. xšâyathiyam \ aivam \ parûvnâm
  8. \ framatâram \ thâtiy \ Artaxsaçâ \
  9. xšâyathiya \ vasraka \ xšâyathiya
  10. \ xšâyathiyanâm \ xšâyathiya \
  11. DHyûnâm \ xšâyathiya \ ahyâyâ \ BUyâ \ ada
  12. m \ Artaxšaçâ \ xšâya
  13. thiya \ puça \ Artaxšaçâ \ Darayavau
  14. š \ xšâyathiya \ puça \ Dârayavauš \ A
  15. rtaxšaçâ \ xšâyathiya \ puça \ Artaxša
  16. çâ \ Xšayâršâ \ xšâyathiya \ puça \ X
  17. šayâršâ \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyath
  18. iya \ puça \ Dârayavauš \ Vištâspa
  19. hyâ \ nâma \ puça \ Vištâspahyâ \
  20. Aršâma \ nâma \ puça \ Haxâmaniši
  21. ya \ thâtiy \ Artaxšaçâ \ xšâyathi
  22. ya \ imam \ ustašanâm \ athaganâm \ mâ
  23. m \ upâ \ mâm \ kartâ \ thâtiy \ Arta
  24. xšaçâ \ xšâyathiya \ mâm \ Auramazdâ \
  25. utâ \ Mithra \ baga \ pâtuv \ utâ \ imâ
  26. m \ DHyaum \ utâ \ tya \ mâm \ kartâ \
A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder heaven, who created happiness for man, who made Artaxerxes king. One king for many, one leader of many.

The great king Artaxerxes, the king of kings, the king of countries, the king of this earth, says: I am the son of king Artaxerxes [II Mnemon]. Artaxerxes was the son of king Darius [II Nothus]. Darius was the son of king Artaxerxes [I]. Artaxerxes was the son king Xerxes. Xerxes was the son of king Darius [the Great]. Darius was the son of a man named Hystaspes. Hystaspes was a son of a man named Arsames, the Achaemenid.

King Artaxerxes says: This stone staircase was built by me in my reign.

King Artaxerxes says: May Ahuramazda and the god Mithra preserve me, my country, and what has been built by me.
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