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

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The Behistun Inscription Jona Lendering's Web Page article by Jona Lendering ©
& by Joseph H. Peterson

Column 4, lines 76-86

[ 41 ] retrieved from:
CORPUS of OLD PERSIAN TEXTS
on March 5, 2009
  1. \ avataiy \ Auramazdâ \ ucâram \ kunautuv \  [67]  thâitiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâ
  2. yathiya \ yadiy \ imâm \ dipim \ imaivâ \ patikarâ \ vainâhy \ vikanâhadiš \ ut
  3. âtaiy \ yâvâ \ taumâ \ ahatiy \ naiydiš \ paribarâhy \ Auramazdâtaiy \ jatâ \ b
  4. iyâ \ utâtaiy \ taumâ \ mâ \ biyâ \ utâ \ tya \ kunavâhy \ avataiy \ Auramazd
  5. â \ nikatuv \  [68]  thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \ xšâyathiya \ imaiy \ martiyâ \ tyaiy
  6. \ adakaiy \ avadâ \ âhatâ \ yâtâ \ adam \ Gaumâtam \ tyam \ magum \ avâjanam
  7. hya \  Bardiya  \ agaubatâ \ adakaiy \ imaiy \ martiyâ \ hamataxšatâ \ anušiyâ \ man
  8. â \ Vidafarnâ \ nâma \ Vâyaspârahyâ \ puça Pârsa\ Utâna \ nâma \ Thuxrahyâ
  9. \ puça \ Pârsa \ Gaubaruva \ nâma \ Marduniyahyâ \ puça \ Pârsa \ Vidarna \ nâma \ Ba
  10. gâbignahyâ \ puça \ Pârsa \ Bagabuxša \ nâma \ Dâtuvahyahyâ \ puça \ Pârsa \
  11. Ardumaniš \ nâma \ Vahaukahyâ \ puça \ Pârsa \  [69]  thâtiy \ Dârayavauš \  xšâyath

[67]  King Darius says:  If you shall behold this inscription or these sculptures, and shall destroy them and shall not preserve them so long as your line endures, may Ahuramazda slay you, may your family come to nought, and may Ahuramazda destroy whatever you do!


[68]  King Darius says:  These are the men who were with me when I slew Gaumâta the Magian, who was called  Bardiya  [Smerdis];  then these men helped me as my followers:  Intaphrenes, son of Vayâspâra, a Persian;  Otanes, son of Thukhra, a Persian;  Gobryas, son of Mardonius, a Persian;  Hydarnes, son of Bagâbigna, a Persian;  Megabyzus, son of Dâtuvahya, a Persian;  Ardumaniš, son of Vakauka, a Persian.

67. (4.76-80.)  Darius the King says:  If you shall behold this inscription or these sculptures, (and) shall destroy them and shall not protect them as long as to you there is strength, may Ahuramazda be a smiter to you, and may family not be to you, and what you shall do, that for you may Ahuramazda utterly destroy!

68. (4.80-6.)  Darius the King says:  These are the men who were there at the time when I slew Gaumata the Magian who called himself  Bardiya  [Smerdis];  at that time these men cooperated as my followers:  Intaphernes by name, son of Vayaspara, a Persian;  Otanes by name, son of Thukhra, a Persian;  Gobryas by name, son of Mardonius, a Persian;  Hydarnes by name, son of Bagabigna, a Persian;  Megabyzus by name, son of Datuvahya, a Persian;  Ardumanish by name, son of Vahauka, a Persian.

  1. son of Vayâspâra
  2. son of Thukhra
  3. son of Marduniya  [Mardonius]
  4. son of Bagâbigna
  5. son of Dâtuvahya
  6. son of Vakauka
  • Gaumâta(m) -
  • maguš (magum) -



  • Bardiya -
  1. Vidafarnâ -
  2. Utâna -
  3. Gaubaruva -
  4. Vidarna -
  5. Bagabuxša -
  6. Ardumaniš -
  • Gaumata
  • Magian - expert in Persian/Medean religious and oral traditions
  • Smerdis - probably a Greek scribal error
  1. Intaphrenes / Intaphernes
  2. Otanes
  3. Gobryas
  4. Hydarnes
  5. Megabyzus *
  6. Ardumanish

 *  probably another Greek scribal error


to Column 4, lines 87-92
back to Column 4, lines 67-76

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