SARDANAPALUS, or SARDANAPALLUS  , according to Greek fable, the last king of Assyria, the thirtieth in succession from Ninyas . The name is derived from that of Assur-danin-pal, the rebel son of Shalmaneser II., whose reign ended with the fall of Nineveh in 823 B.C . (or perhaps from that of Assur-dan III., the last king but one of the older Assyrian dynasty) ; his character is that ascribed to Assur-bani-pal . He was the most effeminate and corrupt of a line of effeminate princes; hence Arbaces, satrap of Media, rebelled and, with the help of Belesys, the Babylonian priest, besieged Nineveh . Sardanapalus now threw off his sloth and for two years the issue was doubtful . Then, the Tigris having undermined part of the city wall, he collected his wives and treasures and burned them with himself in his palace (88o B.C.) . His fate is an echo of that of Samassum-yukin, the brother of Assur-bani-pal (q.v.) . See J . Gilmore, Fragments of the Persika of Ktesias (1888) . (A . H .