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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.
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Column 2, lines 18-28
Phraortes on the Behistun relief. Photo Marco Prins.
Phraortes (©**)
  1. thātiy \ Dārayavauš \ xšāyathiya \ kāra \ Pārsa \ utā \ Māda \ hya \ upā \ mām \ ā
  2. ha \ hauv \ kamnam \ āha \ pasāva \ adam \ kāram \ frāišayam \ Vidarna \ nāma \ Pārsa \ man
  3. ā \ badaka \ avamšām \ mathištam \ akunavam \ avathāšām \ athaham \ paraitā \ avam \ k
  4. āram \ tyam \ Mādam \ jatā \ hya \ manā \ naiy \ gaubataiy \ pasāva \ hauv \ Vidarna \ ha
  5. dā \ kārā \ ašiyava \ yathā \ Mādam \ parārasa \ Māruš \ nāma \ vardanam \ Mā
  6. daiy \ avadā \ hamaranam \ akunauš \ hadā \ Mādaibiš \ hya \ Mādaišuva
  7. \ mathišta \ āha \ hauv \ adakaiy \ naiy \ avadā \ āha \ Auramazdāmaiy \ u
  8. pastām \ abara \ vašnā \ Auramazdāha \ kāra \ hya \ manā \ avam \ kāram \ t
  9. yam \ hamiēiyam \ aja \ vasiy \ Anāmakahya \ māhyā \ XXVII \ raucabiš \ thakat
  10. ā \ āha \ avathāšām \ hamaranam \ kartam \ pasāva \ hauv \ kāra \ hya \ manā \ Kapada \ nām
  11. ā \ dahyāuš \ Mādaiy \ avadā \ mām \ amānaiya \ yātā \ adam \ arasam \ Māda
  (25) King Darius says: The Persian and Median army, which was with me, was small. Yet I sent forth an[other] army. A Persian named Hydarnes, my servant, I made their leader, and I said unto him: 'Go, smite that Median host which does not acknowledge me.' Then Hydarnes marched forth with the army. When he had come to Media, at a city in Media called Maruš, he gave battle to the Medes. He who was chief among the Medes was not there at that time. Ahuramazda brought me help: by the grace of Ahuramazda my army utterly defeated that rebel host. On the twenty-seventh day of the month Anāmaka [12 January 521] the battle was fought by them. Then did my army await me in a district in Media called Kampanda, until I came into Media.




to Column 2, lines 29-37



 
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