Inscriptions on the Monuments of the Achcemenides. 261 
THE INSCRIPTION ON THE TOMB OF DARIUS. 
Naqshi—Rustam is the burial place of Darius. 
On the face of a mountain which rises to the perpendicular height of 
900 feet are cut the excavations which are doubtless tombs. These relics 
have a common external appearance. They are carved into the rock 
fourteen feet deep in the form of a cross the upright section of which is 
about ninty feet, the tranverse division about fifty feet. Four pilasters 
about seven feet apart ornament the tranverse section, in the midst of 
which is the deor of the tomb. On the division above the facade of this 
sepulchre are the sculptures. A double row of fourteen figures support 
two cornices. Two bulls form the pillars at each end of the upper cor¬ 
nice. On an elevated pedestal of three steps stands a figure dressed in a 
flowing robe holding his bow in his left hand. Without doubt this is the 
effigy of him who lies buried beneath. Opposite the standing form on a 
pedestal of three steps is an altar upon which the sacred fire is burning, 
while above is a disk probably representing the sun of which the fire 
blazing at the shrine is the symbol. Above is the image of Auramazda. 
One of these structures Ker-Porter visited and with great difficulty 
explored its interior. Although he was not able to read the inscription, 
yet he conjectured that this was the tomb of Darius. I quote him at this 
point. “ The second tomb is the only one whereon the marks of an in¬ 
scription can be traced; but over the whole tablet of the upper compart¬ 
ment, letters are visible wherever they could be introduced; above the 
figures, between them and the altar, along the side, from top to bottom, 1 
in short, everywhere, we see it covered with the arrow-headed characters 
and in good preservation. What a treasure of information doubtless 
is there to the happy man who can decipher it. It was tantalizing 
to a painful degree, to look at such a sealed book, in the very spot of 
mystery, where probably, its contents would explain all. But it certainly 
is a very distinguishing peculiarity of this tomb that it alone should con¬ 
tain any inscription, and that the writing on it is so abundant; a circum¬ 
stance that might warrant the supposition of this being the tomb that 
was cut by the express orders of Darius Hystaspes to receive his re¬ 
mains. ” (Travels in Georgia, Persia, Armenia, ancient Babylonia etc., 
etc. by Sir Robert Ker-Porter, vol. I, p. 523). 
Before translating the inscription I wish to call the attention of the 
reader to Herod III. 88. Tcpdorov psv vvv tvtcov Ttoir/6dpEv oS XiBivov 
(AapeioS) e6t?]6e. ^gdov 8e oi evt/v dv?)p i7t7tEv ?. ETtsy paipE Se y pdppara 
Xhyovra rads. Aapsio^ 6 t T6rd(j7t£oS 6vv te tov iititov rp dpErp uai 
OifidpsoS rov imtoKopov £Krrj6aro rrjv IlEpdsGov f5a6iXpb)v. 
