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by Jona Lendering
Photos by: Marco Prins and Jona Lendering
When the Persian King of Kings Darius I the Great (522-486) ordered the Behistun inscription to be made, he also ordered the making of a special, Persian alphabet, which he called 'the Aryan script' after the name of official language, also known as Old-Persian.
It consists of thirty-six signs indicating syllables and eight ideograms for the words 'king', 'country' (2x) 'good', 'god', 'earth', and 'Ahuramazda' (3x). A slanting wedge (\) is used as a word divider.
This alphabet was mainly used for royal inscriptions; the last text in the 'Aryan script' can be dated to the fourth century BCE.
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Inscription on the doorposts of the inner room of the Palace of Darius I the Great in Persepolis, above figures of the king and attendants.
da-a-ra-ya-va-u-ša \ xa-ša-a-ya-tha-i-ya
\
va-za-ra-ka \ xa-ša-a-ya-tha-i-ya \ xa-ša-a-
ya-tha-i-ya-a-na-a-ma \ xa-ša-a-ya-tha-i-ya
\
da-ha-ya-u-na-a-ma \ vi-i-ša-ta-a-sa-pa-ha-ya-
a \ pa-u-ça \ ha-xa-a-ma-na-i-ša-i-ya \ ha-
ya \ i-ma-ma \ ta-ça-ra-ma \ a-ku-u-na-u-ša
Dârayavauš xšâyathiya
vazraka xšâyathiya xšâ-
yâthiânâm xšâyathiya
dahyunâm Vištâspahy-
a puça Haxâmanišiya
hya imam taçaram akunauš
Darius, the king
great, king of ki-
ngs, king of
countries, Hystasp-
es' son, an Achaemenid,
who built this palace.
Darius, the great king, king of kings, king of countries, Hystaspes' son, an Achaemenid, built this palace.
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Source/Extracted From: Livius
Please note: CAIS has the privilege to publish the above article originating from the above-mentioned source, for educational purposes only (Read Only). This article has been published in accordance with the author(s) / source' copyright-policy -- therefore, the ownership and copyright of this page-file remains with the author(s) / source. For any other purposes, you must obtain a written permission from the copyright owner concerned. (Please refer to CAIS Copyright Policy).
Page Keywords: Khat-e Mikhi, Old Persian, Farsi Bastan
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"History is the Light on the Path to Future" |
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Encyclopaedia Iranica
The British Institute of Persian Studies "Persepolis Reconstructed"
The British Museum
The Royal Asiatic Society
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