Why Was The Hammurabi Code Considered To Be So Important?

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Question 1
Why is the Hammurabi Code considered to be so important?

A) The Hammurabi Code is an 18th century BCE set of legal codes set by Babylonian King Hammurabi. The code was inscribed upon a block of 8 feet high, black diorite. The block is broken into three parts however it can easily be rejoined together. Other fragments have also been found which suggest that there was a second copy of the code. The code was found in the acropolis of the ancient city of Susa, in modern day Iran, in 1901/1902 CE. King Hammurabi was the 6th king of Babylon and ruled from 1792BCE – 1750BCE. The code is currently kept on display at the famous Louvre museum in Paris.

B) The Code of Hammurabi involves many different laws, but the main purpose of the code …show more content…

Societies such as Ancient Rome especially paved the way for modern democracy. However, these societies were neither fair, equal, nor representative. During the time of the great Roman Empire there was approximately up to 1 million people living in Rome. But slaves held 35% of the population. Though slaves were able to become teachers and even doctors, they will still forced into labor and made to fight for entertainment, such as in the coliseum. Slavery was the backbone of the empire and without it, it could not have flourished the way it did. The use and normality of slavery in this society proves that it was neither fair nor equal. Ancient Rome is also proven not to be equal or representative by looking at the senate. The senate was created in the early days of Rome and it grew more powerful, until the empire formed and the Emperor became the most powerful, yet even then it still played an important role. The senate was generally in charge of choosing the next king, managing finances and legislation, and had the most control over everyday life and the common people. Wealthy senate members even had the opportunity to own their own private armies if they so wished. However, the senate were not elected by the people: in fact the people had very little say to almost no say in who were there leaders; whether an emperor or king or member of the senate. This allowed for a neither fair nor representative society. Despite this, Antiquities such as Rome did pave the way for modern democracy. The political thought of antiquity is still quite similar to today in certain aspects. There is still a senate, but unlike in ancient Rome, today the public mostly elects the senators. The king or emperor are now replaced with presidents and prime ministers, who once again are partially voted in by the public, yet there is still more equal and fair representatives then there was in ancient societies.

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