Esarhaddon

Esarhaddon was not meant to be king. His eldest brother had been captured and killed in 694 BC, the second eldest named heir — until their father Sennacherib abruptly chose Esarhaddon instead in 684 BC. The passed-over brothers responded by murdering Sennacherib in 681 BC and attempting to seize power, forcing Esarhaddon into a six-week civil war he won but never forgot. He ruled the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 681 to 669 BC mistrustful of officials and male relatives, living in high-security fortifications and elevating women like his mother Naqiʾa to unprecedented political power. Sick, depress…