Revaluating the Sardanapalus Monument in Cilicia Greek Travelogues and Ancient Near Eastern Hedonism
Revaluating the Sardanapalus Monument in Cilicia Greek Travelogues and Ancient Near Eastern Hedonism

Summary/Abstract: This article presents a novel interpretation of the famous hedonistic monument of Sardanapalus, as depicted by numerous Greek and Roman authors, particularly within historiography related to Alexander. The argument unfolds in two steps. First, the Greek tradition regarding Sardanapalus and the inscription is discussed in detail, and then the description of foreign monuments in Greek travelogue texts and their relation to ancient Near Eastern texts will be analysed. It is argued that the image of the hedonistic king Sardanapalus was inspired by one of Ashurbanipal’s inscriptions, rather than being solely attributed to an inner-Greek discussion.

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