Behistun T 30

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 iii, lines 65-74

  1. yâparam \ hamiçiyâ \ hagmatâ \ paraitâ \ patiš \ Vivânam \ hamaranam \ cartana
  2. iy \ Gadutava \ nâmâ \ dahyâuš \ avadâ \ hamaranam \ akunava \ Auramazdâma
  3. iy \ upastâm \ abara \ vašnâ \ Auramazdâha \ kâra \ hya \ manâ \ avam \ kâram \ t
  4. yam \ hamiçiyam \ aja \ vasiy \ Viyaxnahya \ mâhyâ \ VII \ raucabiš \ thakatâ \
  5. âha \ avathâšâm \ hamaranam \ kartam \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \
  6. pasâva \ hauv \ martiya \ hya \ avahyâ \ kârahyâ \ mathišta \ âha \ tyam \ Va
  7. hyazdâta \ frâišaya \ abiy Vivânam \ hauv \ amutha \ hadâ \ kamnaib
  8. iš \ asabâraibiš \ ašiyava \ Aršâdâ \ nâmâ \ didâ \ Harauvatiyâ \ a
  9. vaparâ \ atiyâiš \ pasâva \ Vivâna \ hadâ \ kârâ \ nipadiy \ tyaiy \ ašiya
  10. va \ avadâšim \ agarbâya \ utâ \ martiyâ \ tyaišaiy \ fratamâ \ anušiyâ \

(46) King Darius says: The rebels assembled a second time and went out against Vivâna to give him battle. At a place called Gandutava they fought a battle. Ahuramazda brought me help; by the grace of Ahuramazda my army utterly overthrew that rebel host. On the seventh day of the month Viyaxananote the battle was fought by them.

(47) King Darius says: The man who was commander of that army that Vahyazdâta had sent forth against Vivâna fled thence with a few horsemen. They went to a fortress in Arachosia called Aršâdâ. Then Vivâna with the army marched after them on foot. There he seized him, and he slew the men who were his chief followers.