Behistun T 23

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 3, lines 1-10

  1. \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ pasâva \ adam \ kâra
  2. m \ Pârsam \ frâišayam \ abiy \ Vištâspam \ hacâ \ Ragâ
  3. yâ \ yathâ \ hauv \ kâra \ parârasa \ abiy \ Vištâspam
  4. \ pasâva \ Vištâspa \ âyasatâ \ avam \ kâram \ ašiyava \ Patigraba
  5. nâ \ nâma \ vardanam \ Parthavaiy \ avadâ \ hamaranam \ akunauš \ hadâ \
  6. hamiçiyaibiš \ Auramazdâmaiy \ upastâm \ abara \ vašnâ \ Auramaz
  7. dâha \ Vištâspa \ avam \ kâram \ tyam \ hamiçiyam \ aja \ vasiy \ Ga
  8. rmapadahya \ mâhya \ I \ rauca \ thakatam \ âha \ avathâšâm \ hamaranam \ ka
  9. rtam \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ pasâva \ dahyâuš \ ma
  10. nâ \ abava \ ima \ tya \ manâ \ kartam \ Parthavaiy \ thâtiy \ Dârayavau

(36) King Darius says: Then did I send a Persian army unto Hystaspes from Rhagae. When that army reached Hystaspes, he marched forth with the host. At a city in Parthia called Patigrabanâ he gave battle to the rebels. Ahuramazda brought me help; by the grace of Ahuramazda Hystaspes utterly defeated that rebel host. On the first day of the month Garmapadanote the battle was fought by them.

(37) King Darius says: Then was the province mine. This is what done by me in Parthia.