Behistun T 43

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 v, lines 1-10

  1. \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \
  2. ima \ tya \ adam \ akunavam \ duvitîyâ
  3. mca \ çitâmcâ \ thardam \ pasâva \ yathâ \ xšâya
  4. thiya \ abavam \ Ûvja \ nâmâ \ dahyâuš \ hau
  5. v \ hamiçiyâ \ abava \ I martiya \ Atamaita \ nâma \ Û
  6. vjiya \ avam \ mathištam \ akunavatâ \ pasâva \ ada
  7. m \ kâram \ fraišayam \ I martiya \ Gaubaruva \
  8. nâma \ Pârsa \ manâ \ badaka \ avamšâm \ mathištam \ aku
  9. navam \ pasâva \ Gaubaruva \ hadâ \ kârâ \ asiyava \
  10. Ûvjam \ hamaranam \ akunauš \ hadâ \ Ûvjiyaibiš \ pas

(71a) King Darius says: The following is what I did in the second and third year of my rule. The province called Elam revolted from me. An Elamite named Atamaita they made their leader. Then I sent an army unto Elam. A Persian named Gobryas, my servant, I made their leader. Then Gobryas set forth with the army; he delivered battle against the Elamites.