The discovery and decipherment of the trilingual cuneiform inscriptionsBooth, Arthur John
History
The discovery and decipherment of the trilingual cuneiform inscriptions
Booth, Arthur John
Achaemenian inscriptions; Cuneiform inscriptions
a step that roused the jealousy of the Dutch to such an extent that
they positively refused to give him a passage. They wished to preserve
the secrets of the trade entirely to themselves, and Thévenot feared
that even if he were received on board, their patriotism might go to
the length of imperilling his life.[44] At Bunder Abbas itself, where
the Dutch had recently become completely the masters, he scarcely found
himself safe. The only person he could trust was the agent of the English
Company, who took him under his protection and gave out that he was an
Englishman. He was compelled, therefore, to return to Shiraz, and it was
on this occasion that he enjoyed the companionship of Daulier Deslandes.
They visited the ruins of Persepolis, and Thévenot made copious notes of
his impressions. In the autumn he made his way to Bassora, where he found
a passage to India on board an Armenian vessel. He seems to have returned
in the spring of 1667 in company with Tavernier.[45] On their way from
Bunder Abbas they once more visited Persepolis, and upon this occasion
they found Chardin there. Thus by a singular accident the three great
travellers stood together among the historic ruins.[46] Thévenot died
soon afterwards, at the early age of thirty-four, at Maiana, the ancient
Atropatena, thirty leagues from Tauris (November 1667). Two volumes of
his Travels, up to the time of his arrival at Surat, were published in
1674, and a third, on India, in 1684. A complete edition appeared in five
volumes in 1689. Numerous others followed, and before the end of the
century the work had been translated into English, Dutch and German.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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