Behistun T 29

Behistun or Bisotun: town in Iran, site of several ancient monuments, including a famous inscription by the Persian king Darius I the Great (r.522-486 BCE), the great organizer of the Achaemenid Empire.

On these pages, you can find drawings, a transliteration and an adapted version of the King/Thompson translation of the inscription.

Column iii, lines 58-64

  1. thaha \ paraitâ \ Vivânam \ jatâ \ utâ \ avam \ kâram \ hya \ Dâraya
  2. vahauš \ xšâyathiyahyâ \ gaubataiy \ pasâva \ hauv \ kâra \ ašiya
  3. va \ tyam \ Vahyazdâta \ frâišaya \ abiy \ Vivânam \ hamaranam \ cartanaiy \ K
  4. âpišakâniš \ nâmâ \ didâ \ avadâ \ hamaranarn \ akunava \ Auramazdâmai
  5. y \ upastâm \ abara \ vašnâ \ Auramazdâha \ kâra \ hya \ manâ \ avam \ kâram \ tya
  6. m \ hamiçiyam \ aja \ vasiy \ Anâmakahya \ mâhyâ \ XIII \ raucabiš \ thakatâ \ âha \ a
  7. vathâšâm \ hamaranam \ kartam \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ patiy \ h

(45b) and thus he spoke to him, saying: 'Go smite Vivâna and the host which acknowledges king Darius!' Then that army that Vahyazdâta had sent marched against Vivâna to give him battle. At a fortress called Kapiša-kaniš they fought the battle. Ahuramazda brought me help; by the grace of Ahuramazda my army utterly overthrew that rebel host. On the thirteenth day of the month Anâmakanote was the battle fought by them.