Behistun T 10

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 i, lines 82-90

  1. thiya \ pasâva \ adam \ frâišayam \ Ûvjam \ hauv \ Âçina \ basta \ anayatâ \ abiy \ mâ
  2. m \ adamšim \ avâjanam \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ pasâva \ adam \ Bâ
  3. birum \ ašiyavam \ abiy \ avam \ Naditabairam \ hya \ Nabukudracara \ agaubatâ
  4. \ kara \ hya \ Naditabairahyâ \ Tigrâm \ adâraya \ avadâ \ aištatâ \ utâ
  5. abiš \ nâviyâ \ âha \ pasâva \ adam \ kâram \ maškâuvâ \ avâkanam \ aniyam \ uša
  6. bârim \ akunavam \ aniyahyâ \ asam \ frânayam \ Auramazdâmaiy \ upastâm
  7. \ abara \ vašnâ \ Auramazdâha \ Tigrâm \ viyatarayâmâ \ avadâ \ avam \ kâram \
  8. tyam \ Naditabairahyâ \ adam \ ajanam \ vasiy \ Âçiyâdiyahya \ mâhyâ \ XXVI \ rau
  9. cabiš \ thakatâ \ âha \ avathâ \ hamaranam \ akumâ \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ x

(17) King Darius says: Then I sent [an envoy?] to Elam. That ššina was brought unto me in fetters, and I killed him.

(18) King Darius says: Then I marched marched against that Nidintu-Bêl, who called himself Nebuchadnezzar. The army of Nidintu-Bêl held the Tigris; there it took its stand, and on account of the waters [the river] was unfordable. Thereupon I supported my army on [inflated] skins, others I made dromedary-borne, for the rest I brought horses. Ahuramazda brought me help; by the grace of Ahuramazda we crossed the Tigris. Then did I utterly overthrow that host of Nidintu-Bêl. On the twenty-sixth day of the month Âçiyâdiyanote we joined battle.