Expanders of the Realm

The Bīsutūn inscription carries an Old Persian coda dedicated to Darius’ expedition against the Sakā (dbp col. v § 74). The campaign’s geography and the identity of the defeated have been often discussed. Instead, the reasons behind both the campaign and its prominence in the inscription have been neglected. This article contextualizes the episode within its Ancient Near Eastern framework of imperial discourse on uni- versal rulership and the limits thereof. Then, it provides an anthropological reading of the inscription through the prism of sacred (divine) kingship, seeking to account for the paramount importance of Central Asian (border)lands within the mental maps—even the cosmology—of the dawning Empire. This approach puts front stage the proactive role of local élites in negotiating their own position(ality) under, and sometimes—even simultaneously—against, Persian power.