Editing Sennacherib (section)

== Character ==
{{Multiple image
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| image1 = Sanherib-Lachisch.png
| image2 = A dictionary of the Bible.. (1887) (14801703843).jpg
| footer = Sennacherib shown enthroned in the [[Lachish reliefs]], which depict his war in the [[Levant]]. Detailed drawing from the 1887 book ''A Dictionary of the Bible'' by [[Philip Schaff]] on the right.
| altfooter1 = A relief and a drawing both depicting Sennacherib on a throne.
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| alt1 = Sennacherib enthroned in Lachish, from one of his reliefs
| alt2 = Detailed drawing of the same relief
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The main sources that can be used to deduce Sennacherib's personality are his royal inscriptions. These inscriptions were not written by the king, but by his royal scribes. They often served as propaganda meant to portray the king as better than all other rulers, both contemporary and ancient.{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=19}} Furthermore, Assyrian royal inscriptions often describe only military and construction matters and were highly formulaic, differing little from king to king.{{Sfn|Frahm|2014|p=171}} By examining the inscriptions and comparing them to those of other kings and non-royal inscriptions, it is possible to infer some aspects of Sennacherib's character. Like the inscriptions of other Assyrian kings, his show pride and high self-esteem, for instance in the passage: "Ashur, father of the gods, looked steadfastly upon me among all the rulers and he made my weapons greater than (those of) all who sit on (royal) daises." In several places, Sennacherib's great intelligence is emphasized, for instance in the passage, "the god Ninshiku gave me wide understanding equal to (that of) the sage Adapu (and) endowed me with broad knowledge". Several inscriptions call him "foremost of all rulers" (''ašared kal malkī'') and a "perfect man" (''eṭlu gitmālu'').{{Sfn|Frahm|2014|p=193}}{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=19}} Sennacherib's decision to keep his birth name when he became king rather than assuming a throne name, something at least 19 of his 21 immediate predecessors had done, suggests self-confidence. Sennacherib assumed several new epithets never used by Assyrian kings, such as "guardian of the right" and "lover of justice", suggesting a desire to leave a personal mark on a new era beginning with his reign.{{Sfn|Frahm|2014|p=204}}

When Sennacherib became king, he was already an adult and had served as Sargon's crown prince for over 15 years and understood the empire's administration. Unlike many preceding and later Assyrian kings (including his father), Sennacherib did not portray himself as a conqueror or express much desire to conquer the world. Instead, his inscriptions often portrayed the most important parts of his reign as his large-scale building projects. Most of Sennacherib's campaigns were not aimed at conquest, but at suppressing revolts against his rule, restoring lost territories and securing treasure to finance his building projects.{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=20}} That his generals led several of the campaigns, rather than Sennacherib himself, shows he was not as interested in campaigning as his predecessors had been.{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=21}} The brutal retribution and punishment served to Assyria's enemies described in Sennacherib's accounts do not necessarily reflect the truth. They also served as intimidating tools for propaganda and psychological warfare.{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=22}}
[[File:Inschrift über dem Kopf des Königs Sennacherib.jpg|thumb|alt= Akkadian text and its English translation from a relief depicting Sennacherib | Writing in [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] and its translation into English from above the head of Sennacherib in the reliefs depicting the [[siege of Lachish]]. From Austen Henry Layard's 1853 book ''Discoveries in the Ruins of Nineveh and Babylon''.]]
Despite the apparent lack of interest in world domination, Sennacherib assumed the traditional Mesopotamian titles that designated rule of the entire world; "[[King of the Universe|king of the universe]]" and "[[King of the Four Corners of the World|king of the four corners of the world]]". Other titles, such as "strong king" and "mighty king", emphasized his power and greatness, along with epithets such as "virile warrior" (''zikaru qardu'') and "fierce wild bull" (''rīmu ekdu''). Sennacherib described all of his campaigns, even the unsuccessful ones, as victories in his own accounts. This was not necessarily because of personal pride; his subjects would have viewed a failed campaign as a sign that the gods no longer favored his rule.{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=20}} Sennacherib was fully convinced that the gods supported him and saw all his wars as just for this reason.{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=21}}

Frahm believes that it is possible that Sennacherib suffered from [[posttraumatic stress disorder]] because of the catastrophic fate of his father. From the sources, it appears that bad news easily enraged Sennacherib and that he developed serious psychological problems. His son and successor Esarhaddon mentions in his inscriptions that the "''alû'' demon" afflicted Sennacherib and that none of his diviners initially dared to tell the king they had observed signs pointing to the demon.{{Sfn|Frahm|2014|p=203}} What the ''alû'' demon was is not entirely understood, but the typical symptoms described in contemporary documents include the afflicted not knowing who they are, their pupils constricting, their limbs being tense, being incapable of speech and their ears roaring.{{Sfn|Frahm|2014|p=204}}

Frahm and the Assyriologist Julian E. Reade have pondered the idea that Sennacherib could be classified as a [[feminist]]. Female members of the court were more prominent and enjoyed greater privileges under Sennacherib's reign than under the reigns of previous Assyrian kings. The reasons for his policy towards his female relatives are unknown. He might have wanted to shift power away from powerful generals and magnates to his own family, having encountered powerful Arab queens who made their own decisions and led armies. He may have been compensating for the way he treated his father's memory. Evidence of the increased standing of the royal women includes the larger number of texts referencing Assyrian queens from Sennacherib's reign compared to queens of earlier times, and evidence that Sennacherib's queens had their own standing military units, just like the king. Mirroring the increased standing of the women of the royal family, during Sennacherib's time female deities were depicted more frequently. For example, the god Ashur is portrayed frequently with a female companion, probably the goddess [[Mullissu]].{{Sfn|Frahm|2014|pp=213–217}}

Despite Sennacherib's superstition in regards to the fate of his father and his conviction of divine support,{{Sfn|Brinkman|1973|p=91}}{{Sfn|Elayi|2018|p=21}} Reade believes that the king to some degree was [[Religious skepticism|skeptical of religion]]. Sennacherib's ultimate treatment of Babylon, destroying the city and its temples, was sacrilege and the king appears to have neglected the temples in Assyria until he carried out a renovation of the temple of Ashur in Assur late in his reign.{{Sfn|Reade|1978|p=47}}