338:
368:
353:
243:
322:
293:, and of Achaemenid military superiority over Assyria. Dusinberre adds that the Old Persian text takes up twice as much room as the Babylonian and Elamite versions. Furthermore, the Old Persian text is "carved slightly larger" and with more "generous spacing between the characters". According to Dusinberre: "This may be intended similarly to convey a comment about the superiority of the Achaemenid Persians over the ancient Mesopotamian peoples". As the inscription is located high off the ground, and so is difficult to read from ground level, Dusinberre deems these small visual details important.
638:
168:
160:
60:
253:(2007) wonders why Darius chose this particular spot for an inscription: "The siting of the niche is in a prominent position, but the reason for Darius' wish to leave an inscription here in particular is unknown. Could it have been connected with the many battles he fought in this region following the seizure of the throne?". Lori Khatchadourian (2016) states that the spot was specifically chosen to show that the area was now part of another power. By placing the inscription at the fortress of
285:" according to Dusinberre. According to Dusinberre, by making use of only "Mesopotamian and Persian languages", the Achaemenid kings made a firm statement about that kingly reach: "This is a conquering overlord, a foreigner of power, who now exerts authority over the ancient lands of Urartu". The fact that the inscription was not translated into the local language supports this, according to Dusinberre. There had been a long history of military conflict between Urartu and
31:
677:
67:
223:, thus connecting himself to the religion of his father Darius, making use of language similar to that his father used for his imperial inscriptions in Iran proper. In this inscription, Xerxes I makes it clear that he reigns through the legitimation of his god Ahuramazda, the greatest god, the creator god. By mentioning his descent from Darius, Xerxes I asserts that he is the lawful ruler of the
239:". She thus concludes that the inscription at Van is far from "a mildly risible description of filling an empty space; rather, it serves as a highly visible and exceptionally powerful royal statement of empire and authority, situated in a spot charged with historical meaning and kingly significance".
218:
Placed high off the ground, in a region where there was very little literacy, the text had an additional meaning for those who were able to read, or to whom it was read aloud. In the opening sentence, Xerxes I mentions
140:. The inscription is inscribed on a smoothed section of the rock face near the fortress, approximately 20 metres (70 feet) above the ground. The niche was originally carved out by Xerxes' father,
207:, my father, by the favor of Ahuramazda, made much that is good, and this niche he ordered to be cut; as he did not have an inscription written, then I ordered that this inscription be written.
195:, the greatest of the gods, who created this earth, who created yonder sky, who created man, created happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king of many, one lord of many.
321:
265:, Darius and Xerxes "were making a claim on the former foundations of authority that had long prevailed in the region", now remade as a province of the Achaemenid Empire.
337:
367:
352:
604:
17:
1432:
1427:
1376:
626:
937:
666:
242:
634:
1407:
227:. Xerxes I also shows that he is a good son and a good king, as he finished the work initiated by his father. According to
1093:
1250:
1245:
942:
595:
573:
554:
59:
661:
232:
1412:
1007:
859:
307:
82:
619:
1417:
691:
1447:
947:
99:
201:, king of all kinds of people, king on this earth far and wide, the son of Darius the king, the Achaemenid.
898:
1098:
1036:
302:
1153:
795:
612:
1442:
1041:
1422:
1088:
924:
770:
542:
228:
1139:
1047:
965:
734:
328:
1360:
1132:
1118:
1104:
656:
1457:
1324:
993:
844:
344:
1386:
1000:
854:
790:
274:
159:
8:
1304:
1182:
1146:
755:
374:
209:
Me may
Ahuramazda protect, together with the gods, and my kingdom and what I have done."
50:
1437:
1352:
1318:
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1237:
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167:
141:
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1055:
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1014:
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642:
637:
591:
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550:
224:
187:. The inscription reads the same in each language. A translation into English reads:
184:
110:
1381:
1332:
1177:
1111:
1080:
1069:
1028:
979:
910:
839:
800:
359:
114:
38:
1216:
1452:
1346:
1172:
1125:
891:
813:
273:
The inscription at Van carries numerous messages. Being one of only few attested
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250:
1074:
972:
932:
885:
869:
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780:
124:
486–465 BC). It is located on the southern slope of a mountain adjacent to the
1401:
1261:
958:
775:
707:
696:
198:
258:
125:
73:
849:
176:
106:
42:
34:
289:; the choice of these specific languages was an outright affirmation of
1255:
1202:
806:
742:
220:
192:
30:
281:, it "overtly extends kingly reach into the "mountains and valleys of
864:
103:
676:
1268:
1209:
282:
236:
129:
588:
The
Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period
1275:
762:
748:
286:
180:
46:
1231:
714:
431:
429:
427:
425:
423:
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262:
254:
133:
566:
Imperial Matter: Ancient Persia and the
Archaeology of Empires
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721:
522:
520:
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418:
1223:
503:
481:
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278:
515:
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408:
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402:
387:
456:
399:
547:
Empire, Authority, and
Autonomy in Achaemenid Anatolia
446:
444:
235:
that was responsible for Xerxes' personal presence in
231:(2013): "The inscription practically reiterates the
441:
175:The inscription consists of 27 lines of writing in
1399:
563:
435:
620:
163:The inscription, located high up on the cliff
1377:2,500-year celebration of the Persian Empire
151:522–486 BC), but he left the surface blank.
27:Cuneiform inscription near Lake Van, Turkey
627:
613:
541:
526:
497:
485:
412:
393:
261:), in the center of the former entity of
86:Location of Xerxes I's inscription at Van
241:
166:
158:
29:
136:. When inscribed it was located in the
14:
1400:
608:
582:
509:
450:
327:Xerxes I inscription at Van, copy by
246:Another photograph of the inscription
1433:Archaeology of the Achaemenid Empire
1428:Archaeological discoveries in Turkey
66:
171:Van Citadel, approach from the west
24:
1251:Persepolis Administrative Archives
568:. University of California Press.
41:near the Van Fortress, written in
25:
18:Xerxes I's inscription at Van
1474:
203:Xerxes the great king proclaims:
675:
636:
366:
351:
336:
320:
308:List of Iranian artifacts abroad
65:
58:
291:Achaemenid control over Armenia
197:I (am) Xerxes, the great king,
146:
119:
692:Achaemenid Persian Lion Rhyton
549:. Cambridge University Press.
138:Achaemenid province of Armenia
13:
1:
948:Scythian campaign of Darius I
860:Xerxes I's inscription at Van
564:Khatchadourian, Lori (2016).
381:
268:
938:Conquest of the Indus Valley
899:Battle of the Persian Border
313:
100:Achaemenid royal inscription
7:
1408:5th-century BC inscriptions
1099:Wars of Alexander the Great
303:History of Achaemenid Egypt
296:
213:
93:Xerxes I inscription at Van
10:
1479:
1154:Battle of the Persian Gate
796:Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
535:
1369:
1287:
1191:
1165:
1042:Wars of the Delian League
878:
832:
733:
684:
673:
649:
543:Dusinberre, Elspeth R. M.
1094:Second conquest of Egypt
925:Siege of Sardis (547 BC)
771:Palace of Darius in Susa
229:Elspeth R. M. Dusinberre
1413:Achaemenid inscriptions
1246:Districts of the Empire
1048:Battle of the Eurymedon
966:Siege of Naxos (499 BC)
943:First conquest of Egypt
329:Friedrich Eduard Schulz
233:campaign against Greece
154:
1361:Seven Achaemenid clans
1133:Siege of Tyre (332 BC)
1119:Siege of Halicarnassus
1105:Battle of the Granicus
512:, p. 301, note 4.
247:
211:
172:
164:
53:
1418:Akkadian inscriptions
1089:Great Satraps' Revolt
1008:Destruction of Athens
994:Battle of Thermopylae
845:Old Persian cuneiform
277:inscriptions outside
245:
189:
170:
162:
33:
1448:Old Persian language
1387:Cappadocian calendar
1001:Battle of Artemisium
906:Lydian-Persian Wars
855:Behistun Inscription
667:History of democracy
95:, also known as the
83:class=notpageimage|
1183:Peace of Antalcidas
1147:Battle of Gaugamela
756:Gate of All Nations
436:Khatchadourian 2016
1037:Babylonian revolts
987:Battle of Marathon
953:Greco-Persian Wars
702:Achaemenid coinage
248:
173:
165:
102:, is a trilingual
54:
1395:
1394:
1062:Battle of Cyzicus
1056:Peloponnesian War
1022:Battle of Plataea
1015:Battle of Salamis
918:Battle of Thymbra
791:Ka'ba-ye Zartosht
643:Achaemenid Empire
529:, pp. 51–52.
500:, pp. 52–53.
225:Achaemenid Empire
16:(Redirected from
1470:
1443:Elamite language
1382:Xanthian Obelisk
1355:
1341:
1327:
1313:
1278:
1271:
1264:
1240:
1226:
1219:
1212:
1205:
1178:Peace of Callias
1156:
1149:
1142:
1135:
1128:
1121:
1114:
1112:Siege of Miletus
1107:
1083:
1081:Battle of Cnidus
1070:Battle of Cunaxa
1064:
1050:
1031:
1029:Battle of Mycale
1024:
1017:
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1003:
996:
989:
982:
980:Siege of Eretria
975:
968:
961:
927:
920:
913:
911:Battle of Pteria
901:
894:
840:Achaemenid music
823:
816:
809:
801:Tombs at Xanthos
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191:"A great god is
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39:Xerxes the Great
21:
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1423:Ancient Armenia
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486:Dusinberre 2013
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373:Inscription in
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358:Inscription in
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343:Inscription in
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132:in present-day
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1192:Administration
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1075:Corinthian War
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973:Battle of Lade
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933:Battle of Opis
930:
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886:Persian Revolt
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870:Cyrus Cylinder
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821:Tomb of Payava
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786:Naqsh-e Rostam
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781:Persian column
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597:978-0415552790
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575:978-0520964952
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556:978-1107577152
555:
537:
534:
532:
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514:
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490:
455:
453:, p. 301.
440:
438:, p. 151.
417:
398:
396:, p. xxi.
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1262:Chapar Khaneh
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1140:Siege of Gaza
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959:Ionian Revolt
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789:
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776:Tomb of Cyrus
774:
772:
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708:Apadana hoard
705:
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697:Oxus Treasure
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593:
590:. Routledge.
589:
585:
584:Kuhrt, Amélie
581:
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558:
552:
548:
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494:
488:, p. 52.
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415:, p. 51.
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199:king of kings
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40:
36:
32:
19:
1458:Van Province
735:Architecture
587:
565:
546:
505:
493:
389:
272:
259:Van Fortress
251:Amélie Kuhrt
249:
217:
190:
174:
126:Van Fortress
96:
92:
90:
74:Van Fortress
1305:Mithridatic
850:Old Persian
657:Family tree
345:Old Persian
275:Old Persian
205:King Darius
177:Old Persian
142:King Darius
107:inscription
43:Old Persian
35:Inscription
1402:Categories
1325:Cappadocia
1319:Ariarathid
1295:Achaemenid
1256:Royal Road
1203:Pasargadae
807:Harpy Tomb
743:Persepolis
510:Kuhrt 2007
451:Kuhrt 2007
382:References
375:Babylonian
269:Assessment
257:(i.e. the
221:Ahuramazda
193:Ahuramazda
185:Babylonian
111:Achaemenid
51:Babylonian
1438:Cuneiform
1300:Pharnacid
1288:Dynasties
1232:Satrapies
1198:Capitals
1166:Diplomacy
865:Ganjnameh
314:Languages
104:cuneiform
1463:Xerxes I
1333:Lygdamid
1269:Angarium
1210:Ecbatana
662:Timeline
586:(2007).
545:(2013).
297:See also
283:Anatolia
237:Anatolia
214:Position
130:Lake Van
115:Xerxes I
1370:Related
1353:Armenia
1347:Orontid
1276:Angarum
1238:Armenia
1217:Babylon
879:Warfare
833:Culture
763:Tachara
749:Apadana
650:History
536:Sources
360:Elamite
331:in 1827
287:Assyria
181:Elamite
149:
128:, near
122:
109:of the
47:Elamite
1453:Urartu
1311:Pontus
715:Danake
594:
572:
553:
263:Urartu
255:Tushpa
134:Turkey
1339:Caria
722:Daric
113:King
1224:Susa
592:ISBN
570:ISBN
551:ISBN
279:Iran
183:and
155:Text
91:The
49:and
685:Art
37:of
1404::
517:^
458:^
443:^
420:^
401:^
179:,
147:r.
120:r.
97:XV
45:,
628:e
621:t
614:v
600:.
578:.
559:.
144:(
117:(
20:)
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