Graven in Rock.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13661, 1 August 1908, Page 3 (Supplement)

Graven in Rock.

NEW VERSION OF THE INSCRIF TION OF DARIUS.

'By W. St. Chad Boscawen. ' ' Seventy- years ago 'a young English officer of the East, India's Company's service -was stationed at' Kermanshah, in Western' Persia., .-■ He had a fondness for Oriental literature, and employed his leistire in copying the strange cuneiform inscriptions/on the face of the neighbouring cliff at Behisturi. Working - alone, he deciphered "many of the signs of the -old; Persian, script, and his work was subsequently confirmed by the labours of Grote, fend and Lassen, ill Europe. '. Rawlinson—almost at the risk of -Irs lif e _succeeded; in copying all the trilingual text; arid gave, to students a longer text, than anv hitherto known. On his return!; to England he published, in 1847, the famous memoir in the "Journal" of thsßoval Asiatic Society,', which established the : decipherment of the cuneiform inscriptions on a firm basis. , '■ > A PERILOUS TASK. :

The 'study of Assyriology is no longer a hobby of the faw, it has established itself iii the curriculum of the world's Universities. "' But the paper impressions taken by Rawlinson in 1844-7, now: exhibited in, the: Babylonian Room ■of the British Museum, are old and torn, and not suited to supply a new version of this important inscription. „ So the Trustees of the British Museum decided to have: a new and careful copy made, and the work was entrusted' to Mr L. W. King. F.S.A., of that .institution, who, iu the'.spring of 1904, commenced his difficult task. The result has been the publication of a splendid edition of all three versions, Persian, Babylonian, and Anzanian, or so-called Median, with full translations and commentary.

; It was.no easy undertaking; the copyist had to be let down the face of the-cliff, oyer/two. hundred feet, in a: cradle. Every line was copied, ' and photographs taken as-well. '■:■■■■ The most 'important; result has been the accurate,'.-.copy--of the Anzanian, or Susanian, version—formerly called Median;: as .this presents variants from the others. -..-.,: ■■■ :■ ' , : .-'..:

. iThe'. inscription was cut by order of Dariue.jHystaspes,,: in probably the eighth year - of his reign, /which commenced .in B.C. :521.. ■ It describes, with great: detail the-terrible state of the Persian Empire with-' 'Darius; came 'to ;the; throne. Rebellion 1 and religious defection were rampant- throughout V the land, f and as the King_ "to fighb nineteen battles, and'-'capture and execute nine rebel kings;" before- he could sit peacefully on his throheV .. .<:• METHODS OP A CONQUEROR.-

C-The house of the Achaeinahians .were Zorbastrian .'and devout .worshippers ' of Auramazda, • the one and only god, but. there still, : existed' among the '\ people a belief in .tihe- old Median Magianiems and. inSthis Darius' found his chief opposition. I-he rfevolt: of .Gauinata, the Magian, who claimed, to 'be \Smefdis, the son of Cyrus and ; brother .of Cambyses—and, certainly, as'¥«. know from dated r tablets- from Babylon '•; and Nippur, lasted nearly two years ,44was the .mojst serious. ;

Darius defeated the Magian at Kisaya, in' Media,Vslew; him, : and "dispossessed him of the...kingdom." He evidently, re*gards, this as his- mosh important"action, tor :in • the, bais-relief he is, represented standing • with his, foot ;on the neck" of the Magian, and below is the inscription, "This is Gaumatu, the Magian, who lied, saying; 'I am. Smerdis, the son of Cyrus.' " ,-It.' was the religious character of the revolt 'that caused, most trouble. The King .says,'"The temples which' Gaumata the Magian had destroyed I /restored for: the''people." -r '" . ' His ; imethod of dealing with rebels was drastic, to'a degree. Thus we read the Median .rebel, Ph'raotes, when taken was brought'before Darius, who: says, "-1 cut off ;; his; nose, and his ears and his tongue, 'Lis eyes, and he was Kept iii fetters' in-my Court,,and all the people beheld him. Then .did I crucify him in 'Ecbatanfc'' ' This was the treatment of more M-han . one rebel. / ' The ? new text of the Susanian version is/most 'valuable, and Mi; King deserves greatjcredtt' for his excellent translation of so difficult a work. - It presents many variations: - "This'' Auramazda is ' called "the god- of the' Arians," and -there is a 'reference ,to " the- other gods, all there are," .which.;, quite abandons the severe monotheism of the other versions. .In the now advanced knowledge of cuneiform literature the Behistun becomes a great classic, but over all. is the shade of- that': patient, painstaking Indian lieu-

tenant, one of England's greatest men. Sir Heniy Bawlinson was, indeed, the

father' of Assyriology. The trustees of the British Mtn>euni arc to bo congratulated on the preparation of bo monumental a work.