THE SCULPTURES AND INSCRIPTION OF BEHISTUN. PLATE I. Darius the Great, accompanied by attendants, with one foot placed on the prostrate body of the Pseudo-Smerdis (Gaumata). From the rock -sculpture at Behistun. THE SCULPTURES AND INSCRIPTION OF DARIUS THE GREAT ON THE ROCK OF BEHISTCN IN PERSIA. A NEW COLLATION OF THE PERSIAN, SUSIAN, AND BABYLONIAN TEXTS, WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS, ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. PRINTED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES, SOLD AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM; AND AT LONGMANS & Co., 39, PATERNOSTER Row; BERNARD QUARITCH, 15, PICCADILLY; ASHER & Co., 13, BEDFORD STREET, COVENT GARDEN ; AND HENRY FROWDE, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, AMEN CORNER, LONDON. 1907. [All rights reserved^ LONDON : HARRISON AND SONS, PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO HIS MAJESTY, ST. MARTIN'S LANE. CONTENTS. PAGE PREFACE vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix INTRODUCTION xi LIST OF PROPER NAMES xlvii THE TEXT OF THE BEHISTUN INSCRIPTION : I. THE PERSIAN TEXT i EPIGRAPHS 84 II. THE SUSIAN VERSION 93 EPIGRAPHS 152 III. THE BABYLONIAN VERSION 159 'EPIGRAPHS . 207 INDEX 211 THE following pages contain the Persian text, with its Susian and Babylonian versions, of the Inscription which Darius the Great caused to be cut on the Rock of Behistun, which is situated in Persia on the ancient caravan route between Babylon and Ecbatana. The Inscription was first copied and translated by the late Major-General Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson, Bart, G.C.B., whose study of it enabled him to bring to a successful issue the decipherment of the Cuneiform Inscriptions. His edition of the Persian text, accompanied by a Commentary, appeared in the tenth volume of the Joitrnal of the Royal Asiatic Society in 1847, and his final edition of the texts of the Babylonian version was published by the Trustees of the British Museum in Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia, Vol. Ill, plate 39 f. Owing to the difficulty of reaching the Inscription on the rock, the readings of many passages have remained doubtful, and have formed the subject of much discussion. The present volume contains new material which, it is hoped, will assist in fixing the text of such passages, and may be regarded as a supplement to the above-named publications. The new edition of the texts printed herein is based upon a complete collation of the Inscription, which the Trustees of the British Museum instructed Mr. L. W. King, M.A., F.S.A., Assistant in the Department, to make in 1904. Mr. R. C. Thompson, M.A., then Assistant in the Department, was deputed to assist him in the work. As each sign in the Inscription, or I its traces, in all three versions has been carefully examined on NOTE. Vlll PREFATORY have been cleared up and the Rock itself, many doubtful readings other some which several lacunae filled. On the hand, signs, made at the time when Sir Henry Rawlinson were quite clear and these have been his copies, have now entirely disappeared, brackets. With a view of here restored and are placed within to students, renderings in making the work as useful as possible a series of transliterations, have been English, accompanied by added. been made from taken on the The plates have photographs faithful in them we have, for the first time, representations spot, and and his attendants, and the rebel of the god Auramazda, Darius the Rock of Behistun. chiefs, sculptured on and Mr. R. C. This edition is the work of Mr. L. W. King remarks have been drawn up by Thompson, and the prefatory Mr. King and myself. E. A. WALLIS BUDGE. DEPARTMENT OF EGYPTIAN AND ASSYRIAN ANTIQUITIES, BRITISH MUSEUM, January 24, 1907 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. DARIUS THE GREAT, ACCOMPANIED BY ATTENDANTS, WITH ONE FOOT ON THE PROSTRATE BODY OF THE PSEUDO-SMERDIS (GAUMATA) . I GENERAL VIEW OF THE ROCK-SCULPTURES AND INSCRIPTIONS AT BEHISTUN II GENERAL VIEW OF DARIUS AND THE REBEL LEADERS .... Ill GENERAL VIEW OF THE ROCK-SCULPTURES AND INSCRIPTIONS OF DARIUS THE GREAT IV MAP OF WESTERN PERSIA AND MESOPOTAMIA, SHOWING THE POSITION OF BEHISTUN V KEY TO THE POSITIONS OF THE PERSIAN TEXT, AND OF THE SUSIAN AND BABYLONIAN VERSIONS OF THE GREAT TRILINGUAL INSCRIPTION OF DARIUS AT BEHISTUN VI VIEW OF COLUMNS I-IV OF THE PERSIAN TEXT AT BEHISTUN, FROM THE LEDGE BELOW THE INSCRIPTIONS ...... VII THE GOD AURAMAZDA ON THE ROCK-SCULPTURE AT BEHISTUN . VIII SCULPTURES AND INSCRIPTION OF GOTARZES IX SCULPTURED MONOLITH NEAR THE ROCK OF BEHISTUN ; VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS THE PLAIN X SCULPTURED MONOLITH NEAR THE ROCK OF BEHISTUN ; VIEW LOOKING TOWARDS THE MOUNTAIN XI SCARPED SURFACE AND PLATFORM AT THE BASE OF THE ROCK OF BEHISTUN XII KhV TO THE POSITIONS OF THE PERSIAN, SUSIAN, AND BABYLONIAN EPIGRAPHS ON THE ROCK OF BEHISTON XIII PORTRAITS OF DARIUS THE GREAT AND HIS TWO ATTENDANTS . XIV PORTRAITS OF THE REBEL LEADERS XV PORTRAITS OF THE REBEL LEADERS (CONTINUED) XVI THE SCULPTURES AND INSCRIPTION OF DARIUS THE GREAT ON THE ROCK OF BEHISTUN IN PERSIA. INTRODUCTION. ON the main caravan route between the city of Baghdad and The Rock of ' the Persian capital of Teheran, at a distance of about 65 miles from Hamadan, which is built upon the site of the ancient city " " of Ecbatana, stands the famous Rock now known as Bisutun " " or Behistun (see map, Plate V). The name of the Rock is derived from that of the small village of Bisitun or Bisutun, " which lies near its foot. The form of the name Behistun" is not used by the modern inhabitants of the country, although it is that by which the Rock is best known among European " " scholars. The name Behistun," more correctly Bahistun," was borrowed by the late Major-General Sir Henry Creswicke 1 Rawlinson, Bart., G.C. B., from the Arabic geographer Yakut, who mentions the village and its spring, and describes the Rock as being of great height, and refers to the sculptures upon it. The earliest known name of the Rock is that given 3 by biodorus Siculus, who calls it ro ~Ba.yla-Ta.vov opos, whence, no doubt, are derived the modern forms of the name. In the works of many modern writers the Rock of Behistun Description of an Described as an isolated hill, but as a matter of fact it is the last peak of a long narrow range which skirts the plain of spring. -\ 1 2 Lib. Ed. Wiistenfeld, Tome I., p. 769. II., Cap. XIII. -b 2 xii INTRODUCTION. to the Karmanshah on the east. In riding from Karmanshah lies at some distance to the left village of Bisutun, this range traveller it rises from the and its summit of the ; abruptly plain, are is broken, into a series of peaks and ridges. Its sides pre- suitable surfaces whereon cipitous, and in many places afford it is not until we sculptures and inscriptions might be cut, but come to the end of the range that we find any reliefs or far to seek. At the inscriptions. The reason for this is not foot of the last peak, which rises to a height of over 3,800 feet, as bubble up a number of springs into a pool of water clear flows the crystal, supplying the small stream which by from village and away into the plain (see Plate II). Here time immemorial caravans have halted and watered their beasts, and every army which has marched from Persia into Northern Babylonia has drunk at these famous springs. Moreover, probably by reason of the springs, the Rock was regarded as 1 a sacred place, even as Diodorus says. It is clear that the sacred character of the mountain, and the existence of springs at its foot, and its bold and prominent position on the great highway between Persia and Babylonia, induced Darius the Great to choose the precipitous face of the mountain as a suit- able place whereon to carve sculptures and texts which should commemorate his conquests for all generations. Position of the The caravan road passes between the springs and the R c ^ f and before it rounds the last fnscnption^of Behistun, immediately Darius. spur of the mountain, a narrow cleft or gully opens in the face of the rock. High up, on the left-hand side of the cleft, some five hundred feet above the level of the plain, are cut the scries of sculptures and inscriptions of Darius, which may be thus described (see Plate II). The sculptures. The sculptures represent Darius, accompanied by two of his officers, receiving the submission of the leaders of rebellions against his authority in various parts of his empire during the early years of his reign. The king stands with his left foot 1 Lib. II., Cap. III. PLATE II. -" -..t^ '*:">%.3*- ^c . r General view of the rock-sculptures and inscriptions at Behistun. I. Sculptures and inscription of Darius ihe Great on the left side of the cleft in the rock. II. Sculptures and inscription of Gotarzes, and modern panel. I' I. Caravan mute from Kermanshah to Hamadan, passing between the rock and the springs. IV. Springs at the base of the rock, below the caravan route. THE SCULPTURES AND INSCRIPTIONS. xiii planted on the body of the Pseudo-Smerdis, Gaumata the Magian, who lies on his back and has his hands raised in entreaty to Darius (see Plate I, Frontispiece). The king has his right hand lifted to Auramazda, who appears amid rays of light and lightnings, and in his left hand he grasps a bow. In front of h ; m stand nine rebel leaders, roped together by their necks and having their hands bound behind their backs (see Plate III).