home   :    ancient Persia    :    Achaemenid Royal inscriptions   :   index    :    article by Jona Lendering ©

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.

  
 

Column 2, lines 29-37
  1. m \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ Dâdaršiš \ nâma \ Arminiya \ man
  2. â \ badaka \ avam \ adam \ frâišayam \ Arminam \ avathâšaiy \ athaham \ paraidiy \ kâ
  3. ra \ hya \ hamiçiva \ manâ \ naiy \ gaubataiy \ avam \ jadiy \ pasâva \ Dâdarši
  4. š \ ašiyava \ yathâ \ Arminam \ parârasa \ pasâva \ hamiçiyâ \ hagmati \ parai
  5. tâ \ patiš \ Dâdaršim \ hamaranam \ cartanaiy \ Zûzahya \ nâma \ âvahanam \ A
  6. rminiyaiy \ avadâ \ hamaranam \ akunava \ Auramazdâmaiy \ upastâm \ a
  7. bara \ vašnâ \ Auramazdâha \ kâra \ hya \ manâ \ avam \ kâram \ tyam \ hamiçiyam \
  8. aja \ vasiy \ Thûravâharahya \ mâhyâ \ VIII \ raucabiš \ thakatâ \ âha \ avath
  9. âšâm \ hamaranam \ kartam \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ patiy \ duv
  (26) King Darius says: An Armenian named Dâdarši , my servant, I sent into Armenia, and I said unto him: 'Go, smite that  host which is in revolt and does not acknowledge me.' Then Dâdarši went forth. When he came into Armenia, the rebels assembled and advanced against Dâdarši to give him battle. At a place in Armenia called Zuzza they fought the battle. Ahuramazda brought me help; by the grace of Ahuramazda did my army utterly overthrow that rebel host. On the eighth day of the month Thûravâhara [20 May 521] the battle was fought by them.
to Column 2, lines 38-45
 
home   :    ancient Persia   :   index
   :    Achaemenid Royal inscriptions