My Journey to The Persian Empire
The Bistun (also known as the Behistun Inscription) is a stone relief with accompanying text, located at the top of a cliff in western Iran. The inscription contains a biography of Darius I, his divine approval as king, and his victory over his opponents. It was an appropriate place for Darius I the Great to announce his military victories as this route was frequently used by many travelers. It is not known when the construction was completed, but it was commissioned shortly after he had suppressed the revolts in 520 BCE. (Mark)
On the relief, King Darius appears alongside Intaphrenes, his bow carrier, and Gobryas, his lance carrier. The relief shows Darius observing nine representatives of conquered peoples with rope tied to their necks representing their captivity. An additional figure, which has been badly damaged over the years, is lying under the king's feet. There is also an image of the Zorastrian God Ahuramazda which is displayed above these thirteen figures. The text of the inscription is written in three ancient languages of Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian (Lendering:Behistun). There are 414 lines in the Old Persian inscription, 593 lines in the Elamite inscription, and 112 lines in the Akkadian inscription. The old Persian text describes how Darius was chosen by the god Ahuramazda to rule over the twenty-three conquered countries comprising of the Persian Empire, as well as his victories over his rebellious satraps when he became king of the Achaemenid Empire. As it is stated in the inscription, “Says Darius the King: Ahuramazda gave me this kingdom; Auramazda bore me aid until I obtained this kingdom; by the grace of Auramazda I hold this kingdom.” It also describes how Ahuramazda chose Darius to dethrone Gaumata and how after he accomplished this feat, he set out to suppress several revolts. As Herodotus stated in The Histories, “Darius in the Behistun inscription boasts that he had “crucified” the leader of every rebellion that he had put down, giving their names.” (A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities 1890).
The importance of this stone relief lies in the fact that it is the longest royal inscription that we have from the Achaemenid Empire. It provides extensive historical information regarding the earliest days of the Persian Empire and some of the crises that occurred during this period (Wijnsma 2019). In order to prevent tampering with the inscriptions, the ledge below the carving was removed as soon as the carving was completed. As a result, the monument was preserved and survives almost intact to this day (Mark).
In my journey, I would travel to this monument following its completion in order to see for myself the awe that would arise among passing travelers as not only this monument would no doubt instill fear, but also loyalty. A feeling that visitors feel today in the 21st century when coming face to face with it.
Anahita Salehkhou
6 chapters
25 Jun 2022
The Rock of Bistun
June 25, 2022
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Persia
The Bistun (also known as the Behistun Inscription) is a stone relief with accompanying text, located at the top of a cliff in western Iran. The inscription contains a biography of Darius I, his divine approval as king, and his victory over his opponents. It was an appropriate place for Darius I the Great to announce his military victories as this route was frequently used by many travelers. It is not known when the construction was completed, but it was commissioned shortly after he had suppressed the revolts in 520 BCE. (Mark)
On the relief, King Darius appears alongside Intaphrenes, his bow carrier, and Gobryas, his lance carrier. The relief shows Darius observing nine representatives of conquered peoples with rope tied to their necks representing their captivity. An additional figure, which has been badly damaged over the years, is lying under the king's feet. There is also an image of the Zorastrian God Ahuramazda which is displayed above these thirteen figures. The text of the inscription is written in three ancient languages of Old Persian, Elamite and Akkadian (Lendering:Behistun). There are 414 lines in the Old Persian inscription, 593 lines in the Elamite inscription, and 112 lines in the Akkadian inscription. The old Persian text describes how Darius was chosen by the god Ahuramazda to rule over the twenty-three conquered countries comprising of the Persian Empire, as well as his victories over his rebellious satraps when he became king of the Achaemenid Empire. As it is stated in the inscription, “Says Darius the King: Ahuramazda gave me this kingdom; Auramazda bore me aid until I obtained this kingdom; by the grace of Auramazda I hold this kingdom.” It also describes how Ahuramazda chose Darius to dethrone Gaumata and how after he accomplished this feat, he set out to suppress several revolts. As Herodotus stated in The Histories, “Darius in the Behistun inscription boasts that he had “crucified” the leader of every rebellion that he had put down, giving their names.” (A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities 1890).
The importance of this stone relief lies in the fact that it is the longest royal inscription that we have from the Achaemenid Empire. It provides extensive historical information regarding the earliest days of the Persian Empire and some of the crises that occurred during this period (Wijnsma 2019). In order to prevent tampering with the inscriptions, the ledge below the carving was removed as soon as the carving was completed. As a result, the monument was preserved and survives almost intact to this day (Mark).
In my journey, I would travel to this monument following its completion in order to see for myself the awe that would arise among passing travelers as not only this monument would no doubt instill fear, but also loyalty. A feeling that visitors feel today in the 21st century when coming face to face with it.
The Rock of Bistun
Ko Hon Chiu Vincent. Behistun, the Rosetta stone of Persia.November.19.2019.Tasteiran.https://www.tasteiran.net/stories/10058/behisotun-heritage-site
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