Behistun T 45

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 v, lines 18-26

  1. \ thâtiy Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ hya \ Auramazdâ
  2. m \ yadâtaiy \ yânam \ avahâ \ ahatiy \ utâ \ jîvah
  3. yâ \ utâ \ martahyâ \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xš
  4. âyathiya \ pasâva \ hadâ \ kârâ \ adam \ ašiyavam \ abiy \ Sak
  5. âm \ pasâ \ Sakâ \ tyaiy \ xaudâm \ tigrâm \ barati
  6. y \ imaiy \ Sakâ \ hacâma \ âiša \ yadiy \ abiy \ draya \ a
  7. vârasam \ parašim \ avadâ \ hadâ \ kârâ \ visâ \ viyatara
  8. yam \ pasâva \ adam \ Sakâ \ vasiy \ ajanam \ aniyam \ aga
  9. rbâyam \ hauv \ basta \ anayatâ \ abiy \ mâm \ ut

(73) King Darius says: Whoso shall worship Ahuramazda, divine blessing will be upon him, both while living and when dead.

(74a) King Darius says: Afterwards with an army I went off to Scythia, after the Scythians who wear the pointed cap. These Scythians went from me. When I arrived at the river, I crossed beyond it then with all my army. Afterwards, I smote the Scythians exceedingly; [one of their leaders] I took captive; he was led bound to me, and I killed him.