Old Persian
The language of Darius and Xerxes — written in a unique cuneiform syllabary on the monumental inscriptions of the Achaemenid Empire.
Overview
Old Persian is the earliest attested Iranian language, known primarily from the royal inscriptions of the Achaemenid Empire (c. 550–330 BCE). Unlike the complex Mesopotamian cuneiform inherited by Akkadian, Old Persian uses a relatively simple semi-alphabetic cuneiform script with only ~36 signs — likely invented specifically for royal monuments. The most famous inscription is the Behistun (Bisitun) inscription of Darius I, which was crucial for the decipherment of Mesopotamian cuneiform.[3]
The Writing System
- ~36 syllabic signs — Much simpler than Akkadian cuneiform; mostly CV signs plus a few vowels
- 8 logograms — For common words like “king”, “land”, “god Ahuramazda”
- Word dividers — An oblique wedge separates words (unusual for cuneiform)
- Direction — Left to right (like English, unlike many cuneiform traditions)[1]
Key Texts
- Behistun Inscription — Darius I’s trilingual monument (Old Persian, Babylonian, Elamite) narrating his triumph over rebels; the Rosetta Stone of cuneiform
- Persepolis inscriptions — Monumental texts at the ceremonial capital
- Naqsh-e Rostam — Royal tomb inscriptions
- Susa inscriptions — Foundation inscriptions from the administrative capital[3]
Sample Text
From the Behistun Inscription of Darius I (DB §1):[5]
adam Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya vazraka xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām
adam Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya vazraka xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām
“I am Darius, the Great King, King of Kings.”
Learning Resources
- Roland Kent, Old Persian: Grammar, Texts, Lexicon — The standard reference
- Prods Oktor Skjærvø, An Introduction to Old Persian (Harvard) — Free online teaching grammar
- Rüdiger Schmitt, The Old Persian Inscriptions of Naqsh-i Rustam and Persepolis — Scholarly edition
- TITUS (Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien) — Digital texts
- Livius.org — Behistun — Text and translation
References
- ↑ *Roland Kent, Old Persian: Grammar, Texts, Lexicon*** — The standard reference
- ↑ *Prods Oktor Skjærvø, An Introduction to Old Persian*** (Harvard) — Free online teaching grammar
- ↑ *Rüdiger Schmitt, The Old Persian Inscriptions of Naqsh-i Rustam and Persepolis*** — Scholarly edition
- ↑ TITUS (Thesaurus Indogermanischer Text- und Sprachmaterialien) — Digital texts https://titus.fkidg1.uni-frankfurt.de/
- ↑ Livius.org — Behistun — Text and translation https://www.livius.org/articles/place/behistun/