§2.23.1Σαρδανάπαλλος δέ, τριακοστὸς μὲν ὢν ἀπὸ Νίνου τοῦ συστησαμένου τὴν ἡγεμονίαν, ἔσχατος δὲ γενόμενος Ἀσσυρίων βασιλεύς, ὑπερῆρεν ἅπαντας τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ τρυφῇ καὶ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ.
Sardanapallus, who was the thirtieth from Ninus who established the hegemony, and was the last king of the Assyrians, exceeded all those before him in luxury and sloth.
χωρὶς γὰρ τοῦ μηδʼ ὑφʼ ἑνὸς τῶν ἔξωθεν ὁρᾶσθαι βίον ἔζησε γυναικός, καὶ διαιτώμενος μὲν μετὰ τῶν παλλακίδων, πορφύραν δὲ καὶ τὰ μαλακώτατα τῶν ἐρίων ταλασιουργῶν, στολὴν μὲν γυναικείαν ἐνεδεδύκει, τὸ δὲ πρόσωπον καὶ πᾶν τὸ σῶμα ψιμυθίοις καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις τοῖς τῶν ἑταιρῶν ἐπιτηδεύμασιν ἁπαλώτερον πάσης γυναικὸς τρυφερᾶς κατεσκεύαστο.
For apart from not being seen by a single person from the outside, he lived the life of a woman, and spending his time with his concubines, and spinning purple and the softest of wools, he had clothed himself in feminine attire, and his face and entire body had been made softer than any delicate woman by white lead and the other cosmetics of courtesans.
§2.23.2ἐπετήδευσε δὲ καὶ τὴν φωνὴν ἔχειν γυναικώδη καὶ κατὰ τοὺς πότους οὐ μόνον ποτῶν καὶ βρωτῶν τῶν δυναμένων μάλιστα τὰς ἡδονὰς παρέχεσθαι συνεχῶς ἀπολαύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἀφροδισιακὰς τέρψεις μεταδιώκειν ἀνδρὸς ἅμα καὶ γυναικός· ἐχρῆτο γὰρ ταῖς ἐπʼ ἀμφότερα συνουσίαις ἀνέδην, τῆς ἐκ τῆς πράξεως §2.23.3αἰσχύνης οὐδὲν ὅλως φροντίζων.
He also made it his practice to have a feminine voice and, during drinking-parties, not only to enjoy continuously the drinks and foods that were most capable of providing pleasures, but also to pursue the sexual delights of both man and woman alike; for he indulged in intercourse with both sexes without restraint, of the shame arising from the act caring nothing at all.
ἐπὶ τοσοῦτο δὲ προήχθη τρυφῆς καὶ τῆς αἰσχίστης ἡδονῆς καὶ ἀκρασίας ὥστʼ ἐπικήδειον εἰς αὑτὸν ποιῆσαι καὶ παραγγεῖλαι τοῖς διαδόχοις τῆς ἀρχῆς μετὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τελευτὴν ἐπὶ τὸν τάφον ἐπιγράψαι τὸ συγγραφὲν μὲν ὑπʼ ἐκείνου βαρβαρικῶς, μεθερμηνευθὲν δὲ ὕστερον ὑπό τινος Ἕλληνος,
"εὖ εἰδὼς ὅτι θνητὸς ἔφυς, σὸν θυμὸν ἄεξε τερπόμενος θαλίῃσι·
And he was carried to such a pitch of luxury and the most shameful pleasure and intemperance that he composed a funeral dirge for himself and commanded his successors to the empire to engrave upon his tomb after his death the following inscription, which had been written by him in a barbarian tongue, but was afterwards translated by a certain Greek: "Knowing well that you were born mortal, increase your heart's desire, delighting yourself in banquets; once dead you have no benefit.
θανόντι σοι οὔτις ὄνησις. καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ σποδός εἰμι, Νίνου μεγάλης βασιλεύσας.
For I too am dust, though I ruled over great Ninus.
ταῦτʼ ἔχω ὅσσʼ ἔφαγον καὶ ἐφύβρισα καὶ μετʼ ἔρωτος τέρπνʼ ἔπαθον, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ καὶ ὄλβια κεῖνα λέλειπται. " §2.23.4τοιοῦτος δʼ ὢν τὸν τρόπον οὐ μόνον αὐτὸς αἰσχρῶς κατέστρεψε τὸν βίον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Ἀσσυρίων ἡγεμονίαν ἄρδην ἀνέτρεψε, πολυχρονιωτάτην γενομένην τῶν μνημονευομένων.
These things I have which I ate and in which I wantoned and the delightful things I experienced with love; but those many and prosperous possessions are left behind." Being of such a character, he not only shamefully ended his own life, but also utterly overthrew the Assyrian empire, which had been the longest-lasting of those on record.