# Epigraph explained — The Inheritors

> Chapter companion for The Inheritors by Joseph Conrad.

## What happens

The epigraph presents a single line attributed to Sardanapalus, emphasizing a hedonistic and fatalistic worldview that urges immediate gratification in the face of mortality.

## Themes in this chapter

### Decline of the Old Order

The reference to Sardanapalus evokes the collapse of ancient civilizations, hinting at the fragility of established structures.

### Modernity and Amorality

The call to 'eat, drink and sleep' suggests a rejection of moral constraints in favor of immediate pleasure, a hallmark of amoral modernity.

## Key lines

> Sardanapalus builded seven cities in a day. Let us eat, drink and sleep, for tomorrow we die.

The legendary king Sardanapalus accomplished great feats effortlessly, but his ultimate message is to indulge in life's pleasures without concern for the future, since death is inevitable.

_The epigraph sets a tone of cynical hedonism and existential urgency._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inheritors_se/chapters/epigraph
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inheritors_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_inheritors_se/chapters