What does the behistun inscription say?
Daniel Johnson
Published Feb 12, 2026
What does the behistun inscription say?
The inscription was illustrated by a life-sized bas-relief of Darius I, the Great, holding a bow as a sign of kingship, with his left foot on the chest of a figure lying on his back before him….Behistun Inscription.
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iii |
| Reference | 1222 |
| Inscription | 2006 (30th Session) |
| Area | 187 ha |
Who wrote the Bisitun inscription?
Darius I of Persia
The text of the inscription is a statement by Darius I of Persia, written three times in three different scripts and languages: two languages side by side, Old Persian and Elamite, and Babylonian above them.
What is the importance of the carving at Mt bisotun?
The Bisotun inscription is unique, being the only known monumental text of the Achaemenids to document a specific historic event, that of the re-establishment of the empire by Darius I the Great. It was the first cuneiform writing to be deciphered in the 19th century.
Why is the behistun inscription important?
First of all, the Bisitun inscription is the longest royal inscription that we have from the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550 – 330 BCE). In doing so, the Bisitun inscription became the first Achaemenid trilingual. Additionally, it became the first inscription which made use of the Old Persian language and script.
What is the behistun inscription of Darius I?
The Behistun Inscription is a relief with accompanying text carved 330 feet (100 meters) up a cliff in Kermanshah Province, Western Iran. The work tells the story of the victory of the Persian king Darius I (the Great, r. 522-486 BCE) over his rebellious satraps when he took the throne of the Achaemenid Empire (c.
Who wrote the Cyrus Cylinder?
It dates from the 6th century BC and was discovered in the ruins of Babylon in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) in 1879….
| Cyrus Cylinder | |
|---|---|
| Writing | Akkadian cuneiform script |
| Created | About 539–538 BC |
| Period/culture | Achaemenid Empire |
| Discovered | Babylon, Mesopotamia by Hormuzd Rassam in March 1879 |
Who is depicted lying underneath Darius’s feet on the behistun inscription?
Darius overlooks nine representatives of conquered peoples, their necks tied. A tenth figure, badly damaged, is laying under the king’s feet. Above these thirteen people is a representation of the supreme god Ahuramazda.
Where was the key found to deciphering old Persian?
Persepolis
His faithful copies of the cuneiform inscriptions at Persepolis proved to be a key turning-point in the decipherment of cuneiform, and the birth of Assyriology.
What was Cyrus famous for?
Cyrus the Great, also called Cyrus II, (born 590–580 bce, Media, or Persis [now in Iran]—died c. 529, Asia), conqueror who founded the Achaemenian empire, centred on Persia and comprising the Near East from the Aegean Sea eastward to the Indus River.
Where can the Cyrus Cylinder be found today?
It dates from the 6th century BC and was discovered in the ruins of Babylon in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) in 1879. It is currently in the possession of the British Museum, which sponsored the expedition that discovered the cylinder.
