SARDANAPALUS King of Assyria. He is not known in Scripture under the Name of Sardanapalus; but there is great Probability that ‘tis he that repented at Jonah iii. 6.the Preaching of Jonas, and who was overcome by Arbaces Governor of Media, and by Belesus Governor of Babylon. We 2 Kings xix. 20. 1 Chron. v. 26. Vid. Justin. l. 1. Diodor. Sicul. l. 2. Ctesiam. Athenæum, l. 12.think that Pul King of Assyria, who came to the Assistance of Menahem King of Israel, was Father to Sardanapalus: As if it were said Sardan-pul See PUL. Belesus Governor of Babylon is probably the same as Baladan, mention’d in Isai. xxxix. 1. and 2 Kings xx. 12. and who is known in profane Authors by the Name of Nabonassar. Usher places the first Year of the Reign of Sardanapalus in the Year of the World 3237, before Christ 763, before the Vulgar Era 767. He reigned twenty Years at Nineveh, according to Eusebius and Julius Africanus. Every one knows, that the Wealth, the Luxury, and the Effeminacy of this Prince were excessive, even to a Proverb. Being shut up with his Women in the midst of his Palace, he hardly ever appear’d in Publick, and entirely neglected the Affairs of his Kingdom. Two of his Nobles, Arbases and Belesus, ashamed of his Weakness, and weary of obeying so degenerate a Prince, revolted against him in the Year of the World 3254, before Christ 746, before the Vulgar Era 750. They set upon him with an Army of four hundred-thousand Men, compos’d of Medes and Persians, Babylonians and Arabians.
This Army was beaten in the three first Engagements; but in the fourth the Bactrian Troops coming over to their Side, it became victorious, and drove the Enemy out of the Field, having attack’d them by Night. Sardanapalus had left the Command of his Army to a Brother-in -law of his call’d Salæmen, and he himself retired to Nineveh. Salæmen was defeated in two Battles, and lost almost his whole Army. Then the Confederates prepared themselves to besiege Sardanapalus in Nineveh. This Prince, not caring to trust to the Event of a War, sent his three Sons and two Daughters into Paphlagonia, to Cotta the Governor of this Province, that they might be there in Security. He made great Levies of Soldiers, and laid up Store of Pro visions in Nineveh, to be ready there to hold out a long Siege. The City was besieged for three Years, and might have held out much longer, if the Tigris had not overflow’d its Banks, being swell’d by an extraordinary Fall of Rain, which overthrew the City Wall for twenty Stadia, or three thousand five hundred Paces.
Then Sardanapalus, finding he could hold out no longer, made himself a funeral Pile in the midst of his Palace, where -in he gather’d together all his immense Riches, and wherein he burnt himself, with his Concubines and Eunuchs, by putting Fire to his Palace. As soon as the Waters were assuaged, the Conspirators easily entred into Nineveh. Thus ended the Assyrian Empire, a after it had subsisted five hundred and twenty Years, as Herodotus affirms, l. 1. c. 95. Arbaces was proclaimed King of the Medes; and Belesus, or Nabonassar, or Baladan, was made King of Babylon. But this did not hinder the Assyrians from setting up a new King, who governed Assyria properly so called, and reduced to its ancient Bounds. This King, by profane Writers, is call’d Ninus Junior, and by the sacred Authors, Tiglath-pilneser. See 2 Kings xv. 29. and xvi. 7, 10. 1 Chron. v. 6, 26. 2 Chron. xxviii. 20.