Significance of Inscriptions

Achaemenid inscriptions, particularly those of Darius I at Bisotun, represent the most significant surviving Old Persian literary sources. Darius innovated a new cuneiform script for public monuments, using it to justify his claim to kingship in both political declarations and monumental inscriptions. The Bisotun Inscription, initially written in Elamite and Babylonian, later included an Old Persian version, suggesting Darius extended this practice to other royal inscriptions, such as those of Cyrus in Pasargadae. Royal Achaemenid inscriptions typically employed the empire's three official languages—Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian—with Aramaic rarely used for inscriptions but more common in diplomatic correspondence and provincial ordinances.

Soheil, M. A. (2018). Significance of Inscriptions. The Concept of Monument in Achaemenid Empire, 138–161. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315165639-5