=41.= Many works and trophies of Darius remain in various parts of his empire. He was the first king who coined money in Persia. The golden and silver _darics_ circulated not only throughout the empire but in Greece. The most interesting memorials are the two records in his own words of the events of his reign, engraven upon his tomb at Nakshi-rus´tam, and upon the great rock-tablet of Behistûn´. The latter is of the greater length; it consists of five columns, each containing from sixteen to nineteen paragraphs, written in three languages, Persian, Babylonian, and Scythic, or Tartar. These trilingual inscriptions, embracing the three great families of human speech, Aryan, Semitic, and Turanian, almost justify the claim made by Darius to universal empire. NOTE.—A specimen of the style of the great king may be of interest to the scholar. It should be stated that the Behistûn cliff forms part of the Zagros mountain range between Babylon and Ecbatana. This great natural table of stone, which seems to have been expressly fitted for enduring records, is 1,700 feet in perpendicular height, and bears four sets of sculptures, one of which is ascribed to Semiramis. The inscription of Darius is most important. It has been deciphered within a few years, with wonderful learning, industry, and patience, by Col. Sir Henry Rawlinson, of the British army. For many years after its existence was known, it was considered inaccessible, as it was 300 feet from the foot of the perpendicular wall, and it was necessary for the explorer to be drawn up with ropes by a windlass placed at the summit. Even when a copy was thus made, with great risk and inconvenience, the work was only begun, for the arrow-headed (cuneiform) characters in which the Persian language was written were as yet but partly understood. These difficulties have now been surmounted, and the common student can read the words of “Darius the King.” The whole inscription, in Persian and English, may be found in Rawlinson’s Herodotus, Vol. II, Appendix. A few of the shorter paragraphs are here subjoined: I. 8. “Says Darius the King: Within these countries the man who was good, him have I right well cherished. Whoever was evil, him have I utterly rooted out. By the grace of Ormazd, these are the countries by which my laws have been observed.”… I. 11. “Says Darius the King: Afterward there was a man, a Magian, named Gomates.… He thus lied to the state: ‘I am Bardes, the son of Cyrus, the brother of Cambyses.’ Then the whole state became rebellious.… He seized the empire. Afterward Cambyses, unable to endure, died.”