“Different writers have praised Semiramis the Assyrian in different ways—she was the most fetching of women even if she took rather poor care of her beauty. When she appeared before the king of the Assyrians, called there thanks to the fame of her beauty, he fell in love with the woman as soon as he met her. She asked the king to have a royal dress and to rule over Asia for five days and for the things she ordered to be carried out. She did not fail to receive this. When the king established her to the throne, she realized that she held everything according to her hand and judgment. So she ordered the spear-bearers to kill the king and this is how she obtained the rule of the Assyrians. Deinôn tells this story.”

Σεμίραμιν τὴν ᾿Ασσυρίαν ἄλλοι μὲν ἄλλως ᾄδουσιν, ὡραιοτάτη δὲ ἐγένετο γυναικῶν, εἰ καὶ ἀφελέστερον ἐχρῆτο τῷ κάλλει. ἀφικομένη δὲ πρὸς τὸν τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων βασιλέα κλητὴ κατὰ κλέος τῆς ὥρας, ὃ δὲ ἐντυχὼν τῇ ἀνθρώπῳ ἠράσθη αὐτῆς. ἣ δὲ ᾔτησεν ἐκ τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν βασίλειον στολὴν λαβεῖν καὶ πέντε ἡμερῶν τῆς ᾿Ασίας ἄρξαι, καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ ταύτης προσταττόμενα δρᾶσαι. οὐδὲ τῆς αἰτήσεως ἠτύχησεν. ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐκάθισεν αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου, καὶ ἔγνω διὰ χειρὸς καὶ γνώμης ἔχουσα πάντα, προσέταξε τοῖς δορυφόροις αὐτὸν τὸν βασιλέα κτεῖναι• καὶ οὕτω τὴν τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων ἀρχὴν κατέσχε. λέγει δὲ ταῦτα Δείνων.