Behistun T 42

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 iv, lines 87-92

  1. iya \ tuvam \ kâ \ xšâyathiya \ hya \ aparam \ âhy \ tyâm \ imaišâm \ martiyânâ
  2. m \ taumâm \ uba[r]tâm \ paribarâ \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ vašnâ \ Au
  3. ramazdâha \ i[ya]m \ dipîmaiy \ ty[âm] \ adam \ akunavam \ patišam \ ariyâ \ âha \ utâ \ pavast
  4. âyâ \ utâ \ carmâ \ grathitâ \ âha \ patišamaiy \ patikaram \ akunavam \ patišam \ uvadâ
  5. m \ akunavam \ utâ \ niyapithiya \ utâ \ patiyafrasiya \ paišiyâ \ mâm \ pasâva \ i[mâ]m \ d
  6. ipim \ adam \ frâstâyam \ vispadâ \ atar \ dahyâva \ kâra \ hamâtaxšatâ

(69) King Darius says: You who may be king hereafter, protect the family of these men.

(70) King Darius says: By the grace of Ahuramazda this is the inscription which I have made. Besides, it was in Aryan script, and it was composed on clay tablets and on parchment. Besides, a sculptured figure of myself I made. Besides, I made my lineage. And it was inscribed and was read off before me. Afterwards this inscription I sent off everywhere among the provinces. The people unitedly worked upon it.