Behistun T 11

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 91-96

  1. šâyathiya \ pasâva \ adam \ Bâbirum \ ašiyavam \ athiy \ Bâbirum \ yathâ \ naiy \ up
  2. âyam \ Zâzâna \ nâma \ vardanam \ anuv \ Ufrâtuvâ \ avadâ \ hauv \ Nadita
  3. baira \ hya \ Nabukudracara \ agaubatâ \ âiš \ hadâ \ kârâ \ patiš \ mâm \ hamaranam \
  4. cartanaiy \ pasâva hainaranam akumâ \ Auramazdâmaiy \ upastâm \ abara \ vašnâ \ Aurama
  5. zdâha \ kâram \ tyam \ Naditabairahyâ \ adam \ ajanam \ vasiy \ aniya \ âpiyâ \ âhyatâ \ â
  6. pidhim \ parâbara \ Anâmakahya \ mâhyâ \ II\ raucibiš \ thakatâ \ âha \ avathâ \ hamaranam akumâ

(19) King Darius says: After that I marched against Babylon. But before I reached Babylon, that Nidintu-Bêl, who called himself Nebuchadnezzar, came with a host and offered battle at a city called Zâzâna, on the Euphrates. Then we joined battle. Ahuramazda brought me help; by the grace of Ahuramazda did I utterly overthrow the host of Nidintu-Bêl. The enemy fled into the water; the water carried them away. On the second day of the month Anâmakanote we joined battle.