Behistun T 06

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 44-52

  1. \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ aita \ xšaçam \ tya \ Gaumâta \ hya \ maguš \ adîn
  2. â \ Kabûjiyam \ aita \ xšaçam \ hacâ \ paruviyata \ amâxam \ taumâyâ \ â
  3. ha \ pasâva \ Gaumâta \ hya \ adînâ \ Kabûjiyam \ utâ \ Pârsam \ utâ
  4. \ Mâdam \ utâ \ aniyâ \ dahyâva \ hauv \ âyasatâ \ uvâpašiyam \ akutâ \ hau
  5. v \ xšâyathiya \ abava \ thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ naiy \ âha \ martiya \
  6. naiy \ Pârsa \ naiy \ Mâda \ naiy \ amâxam \ taumâyâ \ kašciy \ hya \ avam \ Gau
  7. mâtam \ tyam \ magum \ xšaçam \ dîtam \ caxriyâ \ kârašim \ hacâ \ daršam \ a
  8. tarsa \ kâram \ vasiy \ avâjaniyâ \ hya \ paranam \ Bardiyam \ adânâ \ avahyar
  9. âdiy \ kâram \ avâjaniyâ \ mâtyamâm \ xšnâsâtiy \ tya \ adam \ naiy \ Bard

(12) King Darius says: The kingdom of which Gaumâta, the Magian, dispossessed Cambyses, had always belonged to our dynasty. After that Gaumâta, the Magian, had dispossessed Cambyses of Persia and Media, and of the other provinces, he did according to his will. He became king.

(13a) King Darius says: There was no man, either Persian or Mede or of our own dynasty, who took the kingdom from Gaumâta, the Magian. The people feared him exceedingly, for he slew many who had known the real Smerdis. For this reason did he slay them, 'that they may not know that I am not Smerdis, the son of Cyrus.'