A2Hc

Achaemenid Royal Inscriptions: collection of Old Persian cuneiform texts from the sixth, fifth, and fourth centuries BCE, left by the Achaemenid kings on their official monuments.

A2Hc, gold tablet from Ecbatana

[Rather stereotypical inscription on a gold tablet, similar to D2Ha.]

  1. baga \ vazraka \ Auramazdâ \ hya \ mathišta \
  2. bagânâm \ hya \ imâm \ bûmim \ adâ \
  3. hya \ avam \ asmânam \ adâ \ hya \ martiya
  4. m \ adâ \ hya \ šiyâtim \ adâ \ martiyahy
  5. â \ hya \ Artaxšaçâm \ XŠm \ akunauš \ ai
  6. vam \ parûnâm \ XŠm \ aivam \ parûnâm \
  7. framâtâram \ thâtiy \ Artaxšaçâ \ XŠ \ va
  8. zraka \ XŠ \ XŠyânâm \ XŠ \ DHyûnâm \ XŠ
  9. \ ahyâyâ \ BUyâ \ adam \ Dârayavaušahy
  10. â \ XŠhyâ \ puça \ Dârayavaušahyâ \ Artax
  11. šaçâhyâ \ XŠhyâ \ puça \ Artaxšaçâhy
  12. â \ Xšayâršâhyâ \ XŠhyâ \ puça \ Xšay
  13. âršâhyâ \ Dârayavaušahyâ \ XŠhyâ \ p
  14. uça \ Dârayavaušahyâ \ Vištâspahyâ \ nâ
  15. ma \ puça \ Haxâmanišiya \ thâtiy \ Artaxša
  16. çâ \ XŠ \ vašnâ \ Auramazdâhâ \ adam \ XŠ \ a
  17. hyâyâ \ BUyâ \ vazrakâyâ \ dûraiy \ a
  18. piy \ amiy \ Auramazdâ \ xšaçam \ manâ \ frâba
  19. ra \ mâm \ Auramazdâ \ pâtuv \ utâ \ xšaça
  20. m \ tyamaiy \ frâbara \ utâmaiy \ vitham

A great god is Ahuramazda, the greatest of all gods, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created mankind, who created happiness for mankind, who made Artaxerxes king, one king for many, one ruler for all.

Artaxerxes, the great king, the king of kings, the king of all nations, the king of this world, says: I am the son of king Darius [II Nothus], Darius the son of king Artaxerxes [I Makrocheir], Artaxerxes the son of king Xerxes, Xerxes the son of king Darius, Darius the son of a man named Hystaspes, the Achaemenid.

King Artaxerxes says: I am king of the earth great and wide. Ahuramazda gave me the kingdom; may Ahuramazda protect me, the kingdom he gave to me, and my house.

Literature