Behistun T 05

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 36-43

  1. sâva \ I martiya \ maguš \ âha \ Gaumâta \ nâma \ hauv \ udapatatâ \ hacâ \ Paiši
  2. yâuvâdâyâ \ Arakadriš \ nâma \ kaufa \ hacâ \ avadaša \ Viyaxnahya \ mâh
  3. yâ \ XIV \ raucabiš \ thakatâ \ âha \ yadiy \ udapatatâ \ hauv \ kârahyâ \ avathâ
  4. \ adurujiya \ adam \ Bardiya \ amiy \ hya \ Kûrauš \ puça \ Kabûjiyahyâ \ br
  5. âtâ \ pasâva \ kâra \ haruva \ hamiçiya \ abava \ hacâ \ Kabûjiyâ \ abiy \ avam \
  6. ašiyava \ utâ \ Pârsa \ utâ \ Mâda \ utâ \ aniyâ \ dahyâva \ xšaçam \ hauv
  7. \ agarbâyatâ \ Garmapadahya \ mâhyâ \ IX \ raucabiš \ thakatâ \ âha \ avathâ \ xša
  8. çam \ agarbâyatâ \ pasâva \ Kabûjiya \ uvâmaršiyuš \ amariyatâ \ thâtiy

(11) King Darius says: Afterwards, there was a certain man, a Magian, Gaumâta by name, who raised a rebellion in Paishiyâuvâdâ, near a mountain called Arakadriš. On the fourteenth day of the month Viyaxananote did he rebel. He lied to the people, saying: 'I am Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, the brother of Cambyses.' Then were all the people in revolt, and from Cambyses they went over unto him, both Persia and Media, and the other provinces. He seized the kingdom; on the ninth day of the month Garmapadanote he seized the kingdom. Afterwards, Cambyses died of natural causes.