Premium Essay

Why Was Hammurabi Important

Submitted By
Words 1493
Pages 6
Question 1: Why is the Hammurabi Code considered to be so important?
The Law Stele of Hammurabi or the Hammurabi code is perhaps one of the oldest, most comprehensive and influential codification of laws ever created in ancient times. The intricately chiselled basalt pillar (or Stele) upon which the codes are written is considered an historical work of art, history and literature which is now housed in the Louvre in Paris, France (André-Salvini, 2003). It towers over 7.5 feet tall and the text is chiselled into solid stone. King Hammurabi (c. 1792 – 1750 B.C.E.) commissioned its construction to create a sovereign authority of universal laws throughout the Babylonian empire and as a demonstration of his duty to the gods and the citizens (Roth, 1995). It is a collaboration of pre-existing laws gathered from around the Babylonian Empire. The Hammurabi code served as not only an educational tool to “enlighten the land [but also created legal precedent] to further the well-being of mankind” (Hammurabi, 1752 B.C.E).
The sheer height and shape of the structure alone is a testament to his …show more content…
This however was an arduous task in a culture dominated by men who possessed misogynistic perceptions of women’s roles in society and a proto-racist mentality of non-Athenians (O ’Pry, 2012). This is exemplified in Pericles’s (Pericles 451 BCE) proposal on the laws of citizenship (Walters, 1983). The ratification of the Athenian constitution expanded the eligibility criteria and recognised women as citizens and also children, on the provision their parents were Athenian (Issac, 2010, p.38). The citizenship law of Pericles however did not make provisions for slaves or metics, thus excluding them from the political theatre (Bakaoukas, 2005). This proto-racist and misogynistic culture infringed on basic human rights and freedoms which is not reflective of a true

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Why Was Hammurabi Important

...Why was the Code of Hammurabi so important? While there are earlier examples of laws known (Freedman, 1978, p. 143-164), the Code of Hammurabi is the best preserved and most comprehensive illustration of laws discovered from ancient civilizations. The Code of Hammurabi was relevant because it contained, inscribed within the stele, a compilation of nearly three hundred laws set forth by the Babylonian king Hammurabi in 1754 BC, that encompassed contracts, domestic disputes and relations, retributive justice, military service, and the duties of officials. These laws applied to everyone in the kingdom, with provisions on how the aforementioned laws were to be enforced depending on the status of the citizens. With the public posting of these laws throughout his kingdom, Hammurabi guaranteed that these laws were visible to all, and a perpetual reminder to his people of how they were...

Words: 634 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Hammurabi Dbq Analysis

...A king named Hammurabi made 282 laws 4,000 years ago. Those laws were called Hammurabi’s Code. They were made to protect the weak. But did they really? In my opinion, Hammurabi’s Code wasn’t just. First of all, Hammurabi’s Code hurt family members. For example, in Document C, Law 129, a lady has to be thrown in a lake for cheating on her unharmed husband. Also, in Law 195, he threatened to cut a child’s hand off. He may have struck his father, but cutting a someone’s hand off is way too much. Based on what I read, Hammurabi would throw someone into water. This shows that Hammurabi isn’t afraid to hurt anyone, even children. As you can see, Hammurabi would harm family members no matter who it is. Additionally, Hammurabi’s Code didn’t make sense...

Words: 459 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Hammurabi Dbq

...Many people believe that Cyrus is the most important ruler in Mesopotamian history, but I believe that Hammurabi was the greatest ruler. His code of law, want for justice and easy-going style of being an empire, he was the greatest emperor of Mesopotamia. Hammurabi ruled from 1792 BC- 1750 BC. The Akkadians first conquered Sumer. Babylon was located near the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and the Persian Gulf. The Akkadians formed “empire mania”. The Babylonians grew grain, which they traded for gold. They believed that all rulers, including Hammurabi, were sent by the gods. The city-states were like our states today, a few of them included Ur, Uruk and Nineveh. Starting with Hammurabi's code of law. There were 282 laws in this code. He...

Words: 406 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Code of Hammurabi

...Code of Hammurabi Western Civilization and the World I 100 Professor Preface This paper will examine the Code of Hammurabi and how it affected the people of Babylon before, during and after its creation. The nature of the topic is to have a better understanding of how the Code of Hammurabi changed society, hindered women’s rights and independence and left a lasting impression for future generations. Chronology 1810 BC Hammurabi was born to the then-king of Babylon Sin-muballit. 1792 BC Hammurabi, king of Babylon, started his rule. 1787 BC King Hammurabi captured Uruk and Isin. 1784 BC King Hammurabi campaigned against Rapigum and Malgium. 1772 BC Code of Hammurabi was created. 1763 BC With the aid of Mari and Eshnunna King Hammurabi conquered Larsa, putting an end to the long reign of Rim-Sin I. 1755 BC Captured Eshnunna which was the last of his Mesopotamian rivals. 1750 BC King Hammurabi died and passed the reigns of the empire to his son, Samsu-iluna. 1738 BC Under Samsu-iluna’s rule his empire fell to the Sealand Dynasty. 1595 BC Babylonian empire restored to glory of the Hammurabi’s age. 1901 Code of Hammurabi monument is discovered by French archaeologists. 1910 The Code of Hammurabi was translated by Leonard William King. During the rule of King Hammurabi he wrote the Code of Hammurabi. This consisted of many laws that changed the society, hindered women’s rights and independence and left a lasting impression for future generations...

Words: 2447 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Hammurabi's 282 Laws

...King Hammurabi wrote 282 laws thousands of years ago to protect those who suffered.Thousands of years ago these laws were laid out.These laws still exist today as a starting point for laws,and while some people think the 282 laws were unfair, I have a different outlook on this subject. First of all,Hammurabi laid out laws concerning property.For example Law 23 reimburse a victim of robbery,who tells a god what he has lost and the local ruler replaces it.Also, Law 48 states if a man borrows money and loses it due to an accident he does not have to pay his creditor.Based on what I read Hammurabi wrote Law 23 to help people who got robbed.As you can see Hammurabi was paying attention to property,and what he did to counter it. In addition,family...

Words: 346 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Three Guys Are Watching God Analysis

...having another meeting at Lalo’s located on Berwyn. They start their night by ordering some drinks and food. The characters are Confucius, a Chinese philosopher; Moses, a prophet of Islam and leader of Hebrew exodus from Egypt; Hammurabi, King of Babylon; Jesus, sermon on the mountain; Mohammed prophet of Islam. Mohammed is the only one that is missing in this reunion. But, the characters are still talking about Mohammed. Hammurabi: Hey guys! It’s been a long time since we talked to each other. We need to do some catching up. What do you guys think about Mohammed’s new book that he wrote? I believe it’s called “Inside an ethical thinker.” It is an interesting...

Words: 1119 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Dbq on Anicent World

...dynasties were created and in those dynasties were Egyptian rulers called pharaohs. The pharaohs had majestic pyramids as tombs built to show their power. These pyramids started the architectural development. Every since the Egyptian civilization started the Egyptians believed in faithful life after death. On judgment day the more pure you are the better and kinder judged you will be by Osiris the god of the dead. (Document 3) The Egyptians wore clothing made out of cotton. Cotton is one of the world's most important agricultural products and not many civilizations could grow it so the Egyptians sold it. (Document 4) Egyptians had a system of writing called hieroglyphics. Hieroglyphics are a form of pictures to create an idea. Over time scribes developed demotic a simpler form of writing. They wrote on paper like material called papyrus. The Egyptians were among the first to use something to write on rather than stone and clay tablets. Now today we have paper that would not exist if it was not for papyrus. The ancient Egyptians mummification is like today's preparation of a body for a funeral. Egyptians had so many achievements and contributions not only to their world but ours as well. There are two civilizations I will talk about in Mesopotamia, the Sumerians and the Babylonians. The Sumerian civilization appears in Mesopotamia in 3000...

Words: 839 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Who Shall Rule- History 101

...same “neighborhood” as their people, “Therefore, to achieve what he can of that perfection, every man needs to stay in the neighborhood of others and associate with them... which is why he is called the social and political animal.” If they are in the same neighborhood or class as the people then the leader would know what the people go through. The people always know if the leader is doing a good job. A good leader leads the good and a bad leader leads the bad, even though, in their mind it seems as they are doing good. But no matter who they rule, they have the natural capacity to rule. Someone would have to be born with this ability to rule, and handle everything that comes with being a leader. This is what most rulers have in common. Like King Hammurabi, even though he was a very good leader, his laws were ridiculous. But people still considered him a good leader regardless of his laws in the code of Hammurabi. King Hammurabi brought order to his people and they appreciated that, they knew and they did not want to be a victim of karma. “Even if a man builds a house badly, and it falls and kills the owner, the builder must be slain. If the owner’s son is killed, then the builder’s son is slain.” This is what an “eye for an eye” meant during those times. King Hammurabi of Babylon was a very good king. Not only did he establish order but he created a code which his people should abide by, if not then there were serious...

Words: 2765 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Chapter 2 Study Guide World History

...one god Rosetta Stone- A stone with writing on it in two different languages Sabbath- A religious day for jews Theocracy- A government of three Torah- A book of religious laws for jews Ziggurat- Rectangular stepped tower Important People: Cyrus the Great- The first Assyrian king Darius the third king of persia David king of Isreal Hammurabi the sixth Amorite king Hatshepsut the fifth pharaoh of eygpt Nebuchadnezzar Assyrian king Ramses II the third pharaoh Sargon akkadian emperor Solomon the king of Israel and son of david Thurmose III the third pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Tutankhamen pharaoh of the 18th dynasty Zoroaster the founder of zorastrianism Concepts you will need to know for this test are: 1.) Who was the first civilization to settle in the Fertile Crescent? Mesopotamia 2.) Why was Mesopotamia called, “land between the rivers”? What rivers? The tigris and Euphrates and it was literally between two rivers 3.) Why did people depend on the rivers? For crops 4.) Sumerians were what kind of religion? What does this mean? Polytheism and it means to believe in more than one god 5.) Sumerians were known for their writing which was called_________cuniform_________ 6.) What are some the...

Words: 471 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

The Influences of Asia, Africa and the Americas Toward Contemporary Society

...and society varies between Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Our contemporary society has been influenced tremendously in many different areas by these different societies. Social order in Asia was established by Hammurabi’s Code of Laws. Hammurabi himself was an Amorite king of Babylon, he set these laws to place order in Babylon. Hammurabi’s lex talionus explains that the punishment of a crime should be equal to what crime has been done, these laws are described as “an eye for an eye” and “a tooth for a tooth” (Levack, B., Muir, E., & Veldman, M. (2004).). Hammurabi’s laws were set up for various issues including civil and criminal issues. Though due to one’s social status, laws for free people and laws for slaves were different, but they still held on to the same concept. Hammurabi code of laws helped to mostly shape our justice system. His laws were clear to understand the offenses being committed and consequences that were to be issued. This is present in our society because when one commits a crime or murder they suffer from the consequences in the jail and prison systems. Most of the time when a murder is committed the initial punishment is life in prison or retaliated with death by lethal injection, an eye for an eye. Our current law system is heavily influenced by Hammurabi. As for African influences that are present in our contemporary society, there is a present mixture of all of social order and family influences. The Pharaohs and royal family were at the top of...

Words: 809 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Hammurabi Punishment

...heinous act of crime. There are many reasons why people would be for the death penalty, but on the same token there are people to oppose it and with good reason. It is just a matter of deciding what you believe is right and what factors are behind those reasons. The Code of Hammurabi codified the death penalty in the 18th century (Reggio). When the death penalty came about, all executions were done through hanging. The very first legal execution occurred in 1622 in Virginia to a man by the name of Daniel Frank, for larceny. Although that is reported to have been the first legal execution, there was one that occurred...

Words: 709 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Palsgraf

...Test #1 – Global 1 Why do we study the Middle East and North Africa together? (think about what they have in common) • You should be able to identify the Middle East and North Africa on a world map, and recognize several countries in these regions Types of maps – political and physical • Political maps show boundaries of states and countries, major roads, capitals • Physical maps show physical features of the land like mountains, plains, volcanoes Types of geography (geography = the study of the earth) – physical and human • Human geography studies where people are in the world, what the people are like who live in certain areas, how people impact geography (for example, population density) • Physical geography studies landforms and physical features of the earth Paleolithic Age – 2.5 million BCE to 8000 BCE • Humans were nomadic (were constantly moving) • Evolved (slowly changed and advanced) by learning to walk upright, making stone tools, etc. Neolithic Revolution (Agricultural Revolution) – occurred in 8000 BCE • During this revolution, humans stopped being nomadic and settled down into communities and villages (which would later develop into civilizations thousands of years later) • Humans being FARMING (agriculture) – this allowed people to have much more food than they previously had, which made life easier o At the same time, there was a separation between the work that men and women did ...

Words: 398 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Csr Coursework

...CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Around 3000 B.C. Hammurabi , the king of Ancient Mesopotamia , introduced a code , called “The code of Hammurabi” , according to which builders , innkeepers or farmers were to be sentenced to death if they caused the death of others or any major inconvenience to local citizens . This is the first case in history of social and environmental concern for business .The idea of corporate social responsibility nowadays has started in 1929 by the Dean of Harvard Business School then , Wallace Donham . His exact words were that ”Business started long centuries before the dawn of history, but business as we now know it is new – new in its broadening scope, new in its social significance. Business has not learned how to handle these changes, nor does it recognise the magnitude of its responsibilities for the future of civilization,”. We can say that corporate social responsibility is the balance between economic sustainability and social responsibilities . John Rockefeller said : “"I was trained from the beginning to work and save. I have always regarded it as a religious duty to get all I could honorably and to give all I could." . By definition, CSR refers to the "voluntary integration of corporate social and environmental concerns in their commercial operations and in their relations with the parties concerned,” according to The Green Book of the European Commission "Promoting a European framework for Corporate Social Responsibility"...

Words: 2192 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

The Beginnings of Western Civilization

...Genieva Subic HIST – 1110 WESTERN CIVILIZATION I E Journal #1 Chapter one of our text covers a broad range of history beginning with the legend of Babel. (1) The story tells us how spoken communication has been lost over the years and it also creates a foundation for spoken history. (1) The text then moves on to the city of Çatalhöyük, which was established around nine thousand years ago in south central Turkey. (2) This city had eight thousand occupants living in two thousand homes, which is an average of four occupants per home, that’s not so different from how we live today. The people of Çatalhöyük were an organized and technologically sophisticated society that practiced religion, and had domesticated plants and animals. (2) This is just another example of how even though these people lived nine thousand years ago people today are still living in the same ways. I think that has been the most interesting part of the beginning of chapter one; our society still has many of the same values and practices of our ancient ancestors. The next section of chapter one focuses on the Old Stone Age or Paleolithic era. (3) The people of this era lived before written history existed, around 3000 B.C.E. However, they were tool-makers and artists. The cave paintings at Lascaux act as a type of history as do the finely made tools and jewelry that historians have discovered. (3) The Paleolithic people were known to be hunters and gatherers, they did not have domesticated animals, they had...

Words: 3078 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Oriental Institute

...survived in those times was astonishing. One of my favorite exhibits I really enjoyed was the Mesopotamian empire exhibit. I found it so fascinating because a lot of the pots and designs from that time I have already seen in my hometown in Mexico and also because this is when cities began to come about. What I also learned about this civilization was that it rapidly spread throughout Southeast Asia and Europe and was made up of three main periods. The periods were the lower Paleolithic period, the middle Paleolithic period, and the upper Paleolithic period. This empire life was similar to many parts of the northeast in this period. Another thing I found fascinating about Mesopotamian life is the importance of music in this culture. What music did was tell stories of gods or of important events that happened. It became a means of passing important information down as time passed. What I also found to be very interesting was the “Laws of Hammurabi”. These laws were basically like the term “an eye for an eye” because through each law you are paying the price for a misdeed. Finally, what I found to be the most interesting object in this gallery was the “Human-Headed Winged Bull”. This colossal 40 ton sculpture was placed in King Sargon II courtyard to guard the palace from “the wicked”. This giant sculpture had amazed me and being so big it was the first thing that caught my eye while I was in this gallery. Other things I learned that I found to be interesting was in the Egyptian gallery...

Words: 965 - Pages: 4