Shamash-shum-ukin (died 648 BC) was King of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 667 BC to 648 BC, succeeding Esarhaddon and preceding Ashurbanipal. He is known as Sardanapalus in an infamous story of Greek mythology.
Biography[]
Shamash-shum-ukin was the second son of the Assyrian king Esarhaddon and was the brother of Ashurbanipal. After his father died in 669 BC while campaigning in Egypt, he became the Neo-Assyrian king in Babylon, while his brother reigned from Nineveh. He was said to have exceeded all previous rulers in sloth and luxury, spending his whole life in self-indulgence. He dressed in women's clothes and wore make-up, and he had many male and female concubines. He wrote his own epitaph, saying that physical gratification is the only purpose of life, and his lifestyle caused dissatisfaction within the Neo-Assyrian Empire. An alliance of Medes, Persians, and Babylonians challenged the Assyrians, and, while Shamash-shum-ukin routed the rebels several times in battle, he failed to crush them. Believing he had defeated the rebels, he returned to his decadent lifestyle, ordering sacrifices and celebrations. The rebels were reinforced by new troops from Bactria, and his soldiers were surprised during their partying and were routed. He returned to Babylon to defend his capital, while his army was placed in command of his brother-in-law, who was defeated and killed. He managed to withstand a long siege of Babylon, but heavy rains caused the Tigris to overflow, leading to the collapse of one of the defensive walls. To avoid falling into the hands of his enemies, Shamash-shum-ukin had a huge funeral pyre created for himself on which he piled all of his gold, silver, and royal apparel. He then had his eunuchs and concubines boxed inside the pyre, burning himself and them to death.