A literary history of Persia

92 LITERATURES OF ANCIENT PERSIAnot propose to speak further, since theylie rather in thedomain of the classical scholar than of the Orientalist.Rawlinson,however, in his admirable translation of Herodotus,historian ispoints out how much the authority of that greatstrengthened, not only by the Achaemenian inscriptions, butalso by the true and convincing portraitsof the national characterwhich his work contains. But for him, indeed, theinscriptions, even if deciphered, must have remained obscure inmany points which by his help are clear, as, for example, thewords in 11. 8-1 1 of the first portion of Darius's great Behistun"inscription Saith Darius the*:king:Eight of my race whowere aforetime were kings ;I am the ninth : we are kingsby double descent " " [or,in a double line "]. In the light ofthe following genealogical tree deducible from HerodotusTolymnia, vii, 10) the meaning(1) Achaemenes (Hakhdmanish)of this becomes evident :(2) Teispes (Chdishpish)branch,(6) Ariaramnes (Ariydrdmna) (3) Cambyses (Kambujiya)(7) Arsames (Arshdma) (4) Cyrus (Kurusli)(8) Hystaspes (Vishtdspd) (5) Cambyses (Kambujiya)(9) Darius (Ddrayavush)Xerxes (Khshaydrshd)Ordinarily, of course, Cyrus (B.C. 559-529)is reckoned thefirstking of the line ;his son Cambyses (B.C. 529-522) thesecond, and Darius (B.C. 521-485) the third jbut Dariushimself counts his own ancestors up to Achasmenes, as well asthe three kings (for he evidently includes Cambyses the fatherof Cyrus as well as Cambyses the son) of the collateraland so the meanings of duvitdtaranam, "in a double line" (itwas formerly translated " from a very ancient time "), and ofDarius's " I am the ninth " become perfectly plain,