XPh from Persepolis and Pasargadae

The Daiva Inscription belongs on the Scythian shelf because it shows the Achaemenid religious state speaking across the same Iranian frontier on which the Saka appear. Xerxes' list names the Dahae, the haoma-drinking Saka, and the pointed-cap Saka; the same text then turns to the destruction of a daiva sanctuary.

This is not a Scythian text in the narrow sense. It is an imperial Iranian text, and that is exactly its value. It places Saka names, daiva polemic, Ahuramazda worship, royal law, and imperial obedience in one document.

The translation below is from the Old Persian transliteration of XPh.

Translation

A great god is Ahuramazda, who made this earth, who made that sky, who made man, who made happiness for man, who made Xerxes king, one king over many, one lord over many.

I am Xerxes, the great king, king of kings, king of lands holding many peoples, king upon this great earth far and wide, son of King Darius, an Achaemenid, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan of Aryan lineage.

Xerxes the King says: By the favor of Ahuramazda, these are the lands over which I was king, apart from Persia. I ruled them. They brought me tribute. What I said to them, that they did. My law held them: Media, Elam, Arachosia, Armenia, Drangiana, Parthia, Aria, Bactria, Sogdia, Chorasmia, Babylonia, Assyria, Sattagydia, Lydia, Egypt, the Greeks, those who dwell on this side of the sea and those beyond the sea, Maka, Arabia, Gandara, India, Cappadocia, the Dahae, the haoma-drinking Saka, the pointed-cap Saka, Thrace, Akaufaciya, Libya, Caria, and Nubia.

Xerxes the King says: When I became king, there was among these lands one that was in rebellion. Ahuramazda bore me aid. By the favor of Ahuramazda I struck that land and set it in its place. And among these lands there was a place where daivas had formerly been worshipped. Then by the favor of Ahuramazda I destroyed that daiva-house, and I proclaimed: The daivas shall not be worshipped. Where the daivas had formerly been worshipped, there I worshipped Ahuramazda with truth and with due rite.

Colophon

This Good Works Translation was prepared for the Scythian shelf by the New Tianmu Anglican Church from the source text printed below. The English is an independent rendering from the source-language transliteration or Greek text, with existing public translations used only as controls for damaged or conventional passages.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: XPh

Old Persian source text in romanized transliteration from Xerxes' Daiva Inscription. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

XPh 1-13: baga vazraka Auramazda hya imam bumim ada hya avam asmanam ada hya martiyam ada hya shiy atim ada martiyahya hya Xshay arsham xshayathiyam akunauš aivam parunam xshayathiyam aivam parunam framataram adam Xshayarsha xshayathiya vazraka xshayathiya xshayathiyanam xshayathiya dahyunam paruv zananam xshayathiya ahyaya bumiya vazrakaya duraiy apiy Darayavahaush xshayathiyahya puca Haxamanishiya Parsa Parsahya puca Ariya Ariyacica

XPh 14-28: thatiy Xshayarsha xshayathiya vashna Auramazdaha ima dahyava tyaisham adam xshayathiya aham apataram haca Parsa adamsham patiyaxshayay mana bajim abaraha tyasham hacama athahiya ava akunava datam tya mana avadish adaraya Mada Uja Harauvatish Armina Zraka Parthava Haraiva Baxtrish Sugda Uvarazmish Babirush Athura Thatagush Sparda Mudraya Yauna tya drayahya darayatiy uta tyaiy paradraya darayatiy Maciya Arabaya Gadara Hidush Katpatuka Daha Saka haumavarga Saka tigraxauda Skudra Akaufaciya Putaya Karka Kushiya

XPh 29-44: Xshayarsha xshayathiya yatha tya adam xshayathiya abavam astiy atar aita dahyava tyaiy upariy nipishta ayauda pasavamaiy Auramazda upastam abara vashna Auramazdaha ava dahyavam adam ajanam utashim gathava nishadayam uta atar aita dahyava aha yadatya paruvam daiva ayadiya pasava vashna Auramazdaha adam avam daivadanam viyakanam uta patiyazbayam daiva ma yadiyaisha yadata paruvam daiva ayadiya avada adam Auramazdam ayadaiy artaca brazmaniya

Source Colophon

Old Persian transliteration inspected from Livius, XPh lines 1-44, the trilingual Daiva Inscription of Xerxes known from Persepolis and Pasargadae. The ancient inscriptional text is used here as source material; the English rendering above is newly prepared and does not reproduce Livius' modern English.

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