Code Of Hammurabi Essay

LIFE IN ANCIENT MESOPOTAMIA

William R Madden
Western Civilization Through 1500
September 04, 2017 The Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi was a collection of 282 ancient Mesopotamian laws which were recorded on a pillar shaped stone called a stele . Hammurabi’s code was a system for the administration of punishment with the severity of punishment partially determined by the social class of an offender — A noble would be sentenced less harshly than a commoner or slave . In the codes introduction, the Babylonian deities charged Hammurabi with maintaining justice within his lands, which is illustrated by: “When Marduk sent me to rule over men, to give the protection of right to the land, I did right and righteousness in .

In addition to brutality, the rules are often non-sensible as can be seen with law number two — A defendant’s guilt is determined by a plunge into the river, if the accused dies, the accuser may claim the defendant’s possessions. If the accused lives, the accuser is put to death .
Many laws within Hammurabi’s code regulate elements of commerce, law 268, 269, and 270, for example:
• “268. If any one hire an ox for threshing, the amount of the hire is twenty ka of corn .”
• “269. If he hire an ass for threshing, the hire is twenty ka of corn .”
• “270. If he hire a young animal for threshing, the hire is ten ka of corn .”
Hammurabi’s code also governs social conduct, with a notable number of rules pertaining to women. Law number 128 states: “128. If a man take a woman to wife, but have no intercourse with her, this woman is no wife to him .”
The Code of Hammurabi concludes with an epilogue that restates Hammurabi’s right-to-rule by theological justification . Marduk, the most prominent Babylonian god, is cited as entrusting Hammurabi with governing in Marduk’s name, numerous lesser deities are also named in support of the authority of Hammurabi’s code

Gilgamesh later endeavors to find Ut-Napishtim hoping to gain the knowledge of immortality for himself — but fails . Genesis says: “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them .” The Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis both have a God or Gods who are upset with their human creations and elect to kill them all by flooding. Both cultures must have experienced a huge flood and made nearly identical stories about that event, or one of the storytellers is appropriating the story.
Assyrian & Persian Governance of Babylonia
Assyrian rulers were brutal in conducting warfare . Assyrian troops damaged infrastructure, interfered with food production, and were cruel to prisoners . The Assyrian king Ashurbanipal during the capture of Babylon smashed prisoners underneath the statues of Babylonian gods, then fed the remains to animals .
As a counter to Assyrian rule, the Persian king Cyrus took a far gentler approach when he conquered Babylon . Cyrus disallowed looting or mistreatment of the populace and restored damaged buildings in the city