retrieved from www.livius.org on May 17, 2009

Column 1, lines 1-17

[ 01 & 02 ]  » Right column was retrieved from Peterson's:
CORPUS of OLD PERSIAN TEXTS
on March 5, 2009
Column 1, lines 1-8       Images of lines 1 - 17 Column 1, lines 9-17




  1. [1]  \ adam \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ vazraka \ xšâyatha \ xšâyathiy
  2. ânâm \ xšâyathiya \ Pârsaiy \ xšâyathiya \ dahyûnâm \ Višt
  3. âspahyâ \ puça \ Aršâmahyâ napâ \ Haxâmanišiya \  [2]  thâtiy \
  4. Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ manâ \ pitâ \ Vištâspa \ Vištâspahyâ \ pitâ \ Arš
  5. âma \ Aršâmahyâ \ pitâ \ Ariyâramna \ Ariyâramnahyâ \ pitâ\ Cišpiš \ Cišp
  6. âiš \ pitâ \ Haxâmaniš \  [3]  thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâthiya \ avahyarâ
  7. diy \ vayam \ Haxâmanišiyâ \ thahyâmahy \ hacâ \ paruviyata \ âmâtâ \ ama
  8. hy \ hacâ \ paruviyata \ hyâ \ amâxam \ taumâ \ xšâyathiyâ \ âha \  [4]  th
  9. âtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ VIII \ manâ \ taumâyâ \ tyaiy \ paruvam
  10. \ xšâyathiyâ \ âha \ adam navama \ IX \ duvitâparanam \ vavam \ xšâyathi
  11. yâ \ amahy \  [5]  thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ vašnâ \ Auramazd
  12. âha \ adam \ xšâyathiya \ amiy \ Auzamazdâ \ xšaçam \ manâ \ frâbara \  [6]  th
  13. âtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ imâ \ dahyâva \ tyâ \ manâ \ patiyâiša \ vašn
  14. â \ Auramazdâha \ adamšâm \ xšâyathiya \ âham \ Pârsa \ Ûvja \ Bâbiruš \  A
  15. thurâ \ Arabâya \ Mudrâya \ tyaiy \ drayahyâ \ Sparda \ Yauna \ Mâda \ Armina \ Kat
  16. patuka \ Parthava \ Zraka \ Haraiva \ Uvârazmîy \ Bâxtriš \ Suguda \ Gadâra \  Sa
  17. ka \ Thataguš \ Harauvatiš \ Maka \ fraharavam \ dahyâva \ XXIII \  [7]  thâtiy \  Dâra

[1]  I am Darius, the great king, king of kings, the king of Persia, the king of countries, the son of Hystaspes, the grandson of Arsames, the Achaemenid.

[2]  King Darius says:  My father is Hystaspes;  the father of Hystaspes was Arsames;  the father of Arsames was Ariaramnes;  the father of Ariaramnes was Teispes;  the father of Teispes was Achaemenes.

[3]  King Darius says:  That is why we are called Achaemenids;  from antiquity we have been noble;  from antiquity has our dynasty been royal.

[4]  King Darius says:  Eight * of my dynasty were kings before me;  I am the ninth.  Nine in succession we have been kings.

[5]  King Darius says:  By the grace of Ahuramazda am I king;  Ahuramazda has granted me the kingdom.

[6]  King Darius says:  These are the countries which are subject unto me, and by the grace of Ahuramazda I became king of them:  Persia,  Elam,  BabyloniaAssyriaArabia,  Egypt,  the countries by the Sea,  Lydia,  the GreeksMedia,  ArmeniaCappadociaParthiaDrangianaAriaChorasmiaBactria,  Sogdia,  GandaraScythiaSattagydiaArachosia,  and Maka;  twenty-three lands in all.

1. (1.1-3.)  I am Darius the Great King, King of Kings, King in Persia, king of countries, son of Hystaspes, grandson of Arsames, an Achaemenian.

2. (1.3-6.)  Darius the King says:  My father was Hystaspes;  Hystaspes' father was Arsames;  Arsames' father was Ariaramnes;  Ariaramnes' father was Teispes;  Teispes' father was Achaemenes.

3. (1.6-8.)  Darius the King says:  For this reason we are called Achaemenians.  From long ago we have been noble.  From long ago our family had been kings.

4. (1.8-11.)  Darius the King says:  there were 8 * of our family who were kings before me;  I am the ninth;  9 in succession we have been kings.

5. (1.11-12.)  Darius the King says:  By the favor of Ahuramazda, I am King;  Ahuramazda bestowed the kingdom upon me.

6. (1.12-17.)  Darius the King says:  These are the countries that came to me;  by the favor of Ahuramazda I was king of them:  Persia,  Elam,  Babylonia,  Assyria,  Arabia,  Egypt,  (those) who are beside the Sea,  Sardis,  Ionia,  Media,  Armenia,  Cappadocia,  Parthia,  Drangiana,  Aria,  Chorasmia,  Bactria,  Sogdiana,  Gandara,  Scythia,  Sattagydia,  Arachosia,  Maka.  In all, 23 provinces.

Translation from:
Jona Lendering's Web Page 01
Page 02
Joseph H. Peterson's
Web Page

Pronunciation   The Dynasty according to Darius In Chronological Order

  • â  =  'ah'
  • au  =  'ow' as in English 'how'
  • š  =  'sh' as in English 'short'
  • x  =  heavy breathing,
    as in German or Scottish 'ch'
  • c  =  'tsh' as in English 'tch':  'watch'

  • Dârayavauš -
    son of Vištâspa -
    grandson of Aršâma
    Haxâmanišiya -
  • Vištâspa -
  • Aršâma -
  • Ariyâramna -
  • Cišpiš -
  • Haxâmaniš -
  • Darius -
    son of Hystaspes -
    grandson of Arsames
    an Achaemenian
  • Hystaspes - son of Arsames
  • Arsames - son of Ariaramnes
  • Ariaramnes - son of Teispes
  • Teispes - son of Achaemenes
  • Achaemenes - founder of the dynasty
       (according to Darius)
  1. Achaemenes
  2. Teispes
  3. Ariaramnes
  4. Arsames
  5. Hystaspes
  6. Darius

* 8 of our family who were kings before me –
   Perhaps Darius counts Cyrus the Great and Cambyses.  Cyrus was also supposedly descended from Achaemenes.  Cambyses was Cyrus's son.

  23 Provinces
 
  1. Pârsa
  2. Ûvja
  3. Bâbiruš
  4. Athurâ
  5. Arabâya
  6. Mudrâya
  7. tyaiy \ drayahyâ
  8. Sparda
  9. Yauna
  10. Mâda
  11. Armina
  12. Katpatuka
  13. Parthava
  14. Zraka
  15. Haraiva
  16. Uvârazmîy
  17. Bâxtriš
  18. Suguda
  19. Gadâra
  20. Saka
  21. Thataguš
  22. Harauvatiš
  23. Maka
  1. Persia
  2. Elam
  3. Babylonia
  4. Assyria
  5. Arabia
  6. Egypt
  7. countries by the Sea
  8. Sardis [Lydia]
  9. Ionia [Greeks of Asia Minor]
  10. Media 
  11. Armenia
  12. Cappadocia
  13. Parthia
  14. Drangiana
  15. Aria
  16. Chorasmia
  17. Bactria
  18. Sogdia [Sogdiana]
  19. Gandara
  20. Scythia
  21. Sattagydia
  22. Arachosia
  23. Maka
  1. Persia
  2. Elam
  3. Babylonia
  4. Assyria
  5. Arabia
  6. Egypt
  7. countries by the Sea
  8. Sardis [Lydia]
  9. Ionia [Greeks of Asia Minor]
  10. Media 
  11. Armenia
  12. Cappadocia
  13. Parthia
  14. Drangiana
  15. Aria
  16. Chorasmia
  17. Bactria
  18. Sogdia [Sogdiana]
  19. Gandara
  20. Scythia
  21. Sattagydia
  22. Arachosia
  23. Maka
to Column 1, lines 17-26   >>

 Media – I prefer a novel spelling, Medȋa, to distinguish between the country's name and the English word 'media'.  I also prefer to pronounce this word 'Medȋa' with the emphasis on the penultimate syllable – mee DEE ah.  Similarly, I use a related spelling for the name of the ethnicity which is conventionally spelled 'Median' in English – Medȋan, also with the emphasis on the penultimate syllable.  Again, I am distinguishing between the ethnic name and the English word 'median'.
However, on these pages with translations from Lendering and Peterson, I have not changed their spellings 'Media' and 'Median'.