Hammurabi Code Of Laws Essay

During the years of 1792-1750 BC, King Hammurabi ruled the city-state of Babylon in the region of Mesopotamia, which is the land between the Tigris and Euphrates river, in what is now modern day Iraq. During his 42 year rule, he created an intensive code of laws in which the citizens of Babylon were to live by, and he had great military campaigns that lasted many years and gained the land of many cities, creating a very large empire. Also, as ruler, Hammurabi constructed many buildings and systems that are still in wide use up to this day. Lastly, he personally oversaw the administration of government, which was the reason that he failed to create a permanent bureaucratic system, and the primary reason for the rapid deterioration of his

They include many harsh punishments, including the removal of the guilty party’s tongue, hands, eyes and ears. The code presents the early evidence of the idea that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, an idea that is used to this very day in legal courts. There were also some less severe punishments, such as payment of money in shekels of silver, rendering back destroyed materials, repaying double the amount of gifts given to a father in law if he refuses to have his daughter married to a man, and the suing of some people. The most famous law of Hammurabi is number 199, where it states that if a man knocks out the tooth of another man, then his tooth shall be knocked out as well. It brings the idea of equality and fairness to to everyone, knowing that crimes will not go unpunished, and knowing that mostly all the time the right verdict is reached. The last idea highlighted in Hammurabi’s code is the punishment of theft. This was a very important flaw in the code, because according to the law, if someone is accused of stealing or something close to that regard, then they will be pushed into a river, and if they float, they are allowed to live, and in turn gaining all the accusers property. This meant that if a man stole from you, and when he was pushed into the river and he was able to get out without drowning, then he was entitled to

There is a story in which the chief bakers of Hammurabi made a complaint that four of their workers were recalled due to military service in the army of Babylon. Hammurabi did not agree and stood firm with his decision that everyone must serve at one time or another if asked to. One of the biggest parts that allowed Hammurabi’s kingdom to grow was the advanced weaponry they used. The Babylonians used sharpened weapons such as sickle swords, spears, socketed axes, and Egyptian bladed mace, as well as staffs, clubs, and even projectiles that would be flung from war slings. Since the Babylonian empire came about in the Bronze age, the weapons they used were softer and less effective than the iron and steel used later on in civilizations. They were a lot more useless in battle iron based weapons, which could have a sharper tip and were made out of a harder to break material. But even though they had minor setbacks when it comes to the material and weaponry available to them, they had the best technology possible, copper and bronze armor, and intense training that made them ready for any situation. I believe that these are the main aspects that make up King Hammurabi’s military