A3Pa

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.

A3Pa was added in the mid-fourth century to the newly-built western staircase of the Palace of Darius by Artaxerxes III Ochus There's another copy on the Palace of Artaxerxes I, on the northern stairs.

  1. baga \ vazraka \ Auramazdâ \ hya \
  2. imâm \ bumâm \ adâ \ hya \ a
  3. vam \ asmânâm \ adâ \ hya \ marti
  4. yam \ adâ \ hya \ šâyatâm \ adâ \ marti
  5. ihyâ \ hya \ mâm \ Artaxšaçâ \ xšâya
  6. thiya \ akunauš \ aivam \ parûvnâm \
  7. xšâyathiyam \ aivam \ parûvnâm
  8. \ framatâram \ thâtiy \ Artaxsaçâ \
  9. xšâyathiya \ vasraka \ xšâyathiya
  10. \ xšâyathiyanâm \ xšâyathiya \
  11. DHyûnâm \ xšâyathiya \ ahyâyâ \ BUyâ \ ada
  12. m \ Artaxšaçâ \ xšâya
  13. thiya \ puça \ Artaxšaçâ \ Darayavau
  14. š \ xšâyathiya \ puça \ Dârayavauš \ A
  15. rtaxšaçâ \ xšâyathiya \ puça \ Artaxša
  16. çâ \ Xšayâršâ \ xšâyathiya \ puça \ X
  17. šayâršâ \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyath
  18. iya \ puça \ Dârayavauš \ Vištâspa
  19. hyâ \ nâma \ puça \ Vištâspahyâ \
  20. Aršâma \ nâma \ puça \ Haxâmaniši
  21. ya \ thâtiy \ Artaxšaçâ \ xšâyathi
  22. ya \ imam \ ustašanâm \ athaganâm \ mâ
  23. m \ upâ \ mâm \ kartâ \ thâtiy \ Arta
  24. xšaçâ \ xšâyathiya \ mâm \ Auramazdâ \
  25. utâ \ Mithra \ baga \ pâtuv \ utâ \ imâ
  26. m \ DHyaum \ utâ \ tya \ mâm \ kartâ \

A great god is Ahuramazda, who created this earth, who created yonder heaven, who created happiness for man, who made Artaxerxes king. One king for many, one leader of many.

The great king Artaxerxes, the king of kings, the king of countries, the king of this earth, says: I am the son of king Artaxerxes [II Mnemon]. Artaxerxes was the son of king Darius [II Nothus]. Darius was the son of king Artaxerxes [I]. Artaxerxes was the son king Xerxes. Xerxes was the son of king Darius [the Great]. Darius was the son of a man named Hystaspes. Hystaspes was a son of a man named Arsames, the Achaemenid.

King Artaxerxes says: This stone staircase was built by me in my reign.

King Artaxerxes says: May Ahuramazda and the god Mithra preserve me, my country, and what has been built by me.

Literature