Page:Herodotus and the Empires of the East.djvu/95

Rh thus he said: I am king in Sagartia, of the family of Cyaxares." Over the sixth figure: " This is Vahyazdāta (Babylonian, Umizdatu); he lied; thus he said: I am Smerdis, the son of Cyrus; I am king." Over the seventh figure: "This is Arakha (Babylonian, Araḫu); he lied; thus he said: I am Nebuchadrezar, the son of Nabû-na'id; I am king in Babylon." Over the eighth figure: " This is Frāda (Babylonian, Parada); he lied; thus he said: I am king in Margu." Over the ninth figure: "This is Sku(n)ka the Sacian." All these revolts are minutely described in the four long columns of the inscription.

Of a special interest is the subjugation of the Babylonians, who, according to the Behistan inscription, rebelled twice: first under Nadi(n)tabira; and later under Arakha, an Armenian. Both rebels called themselves Nebuchadrezar.

Herodotus speaks of only one revolt, which ended in the conquest of Babylon by Darius. According to the Behistan inscription Darius smote the army of Nadi(n)tabira near the Tigris (Behistan I., 18). Later he utterly destroyed this army at a town Zāzāna, on the Euphrates (Behistan I., 19), and then took Babylon.

When the second insurrection had broken out under Arakha, Darius sent a general, Vi(n)dafrā by name, who conquered the town a second time, and restored peace. (Behistan III., 13, 14.)

The circumstances attending the subjugation of Babylon, as Herodotus describes them, impress one as somewhat legendary. The statement (III., 159) that Darius had to tear down the walls of Babylon seems credible when we think of the repeated attempts at rebellion on the part of the Babylonians.