Sardanapalus

The name is probably an ancient Greek corruption of Ashurbanipal, the last great Assyrian emperor-king of the Assyrian Empire.

According to the Greek writer Ctesias of Cnidus, Sardanapalus is the last king of Assyria, although in actuality Ashur-uballit II (612-605 BC) holds that distinction. Ctesias' 'Persica' is lost, but we know of its contents by later compilations and from the work of Diodorus (II.27). In this account Sardanapalus, supposed to have lived in the 7th century BC, is portrayed as a decadent figure who spends his life in self-indulgence and dies in an orgy of destruction. His legendary decadence later became a theme in literature and art, especially in the Romantic era. Though the name and dates correspond to Ashurbanipal, the story of Sardanapalus bears no similarity to the true king. The story of this ficticious king is likely an amalgamation of what was known of the end of the Assyrian empire, mixed with literary embellishments.