Code Of Hammurabi Essay

In the ancient world there were many kingdoms and empires. There were many obstacles when it came to unifying an empire, whether it be from sheer size to religious differences, it was the empires duty to find a way to unify its people. Three empires that stood out were the Old Babylonian Empire, the Achaemenid Persian Empire, and the Roman Empire. Each empire had their flaws, but they also had something unique to offer. The Roman Empire understood just what it meant to unify its people and made itself an ideal place to live. The Old Babylonian Empire on the other hand, could have used to help. While it was a seemingly good place to live at the time, it was not built to last.

The Old Babylonian Empire

The Old Babylonian Empire ruled from 1779

It would likely have eased some of the minds of worried citizens knowing that it was not all for not. In addition to his war-related advancements, some other advances that Hammurabi made to gain his people’s favor was rebuilding and bettering the city’s infrastructure by constructing roads and an extensive canal system. Finally, Hammurabi’s most infamous addition to the Old Babylonian Empire, the Code of Hammurabi. This high basalt stele was erected in the 18th century BC and is written in cuneiform script and the Akkadian language. The Code of Hammurabi contains almost three hundred laws and legal decisions, with its principle subjects being family law, slavery, professional, commercial, agricultural and administrative law. The longest section of these laws is on family, covering everything from marriage and divorces to incest and inherence, this is due to family being the basis of Babylonian society. Though it had to have been tough to be in a constant battle, the Old Babylonian Empire was still a good place to live for its time. It had good roads and canals and a universal set of laws to bring people together under one

It spanned from Egypt to Anatolia (modern day Turkey) covering all of Mesopotamia. The Achaemenid Persian Empire began when the king of Persia, Cyrus II, defeated King Astyages of Media, who controlled much of Iran and eastern Anatolia. Cyrus won this battle, but due to the upset in the region, and close allies, there would be many more battles before peace was restored. Cyrus systematically conquered the Lydians of western Anatolia and the Babylonians who controlled Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean. Then his son, Cambyses, gained control over Egypt. With an empire of this magnitude and the constant threat of a war over land, there was no doubt a struggle to maintain unity among the