The poem narrates about a great war. It was a conflict between the Assyrian and the coallition of nations that had been conquered by them earlier. The Assyrian were ruled by Sardanapalus, king of Nineveh. He was a tyrant. All the nations around had to pay high taxes and send some soldiers to the king. They did not want to do it any longer. They started a war for independence. After many battles they won the whole war. They took the city of Nineveh, but it was destroyed by an earthquake.