How Hammurabi Code Affected Mesopotamia's Society

Hammurabi’s code was a set of laws designed to assign punishments to perpetrators who committed crimes. These laws were also put in place to determine repayment from trading and marital infractions. Hammurabi’s Code affected Mesopotamia’s society in many ways. Laws affecting trading, social ranking, marriage, property, etc. These laws tell us that it is important for agents and merchants to do their part when trading. It is up to the agent to make sure that they follow every step to ensure that they complete their trade successfully. If one person makes a mistake during the trading process, then they will be at fault. Also, it is unethical for a tavern keeper to try and cheat someone out of their money by making an unfair trade. If this happens, the tavern will

The law for tavern keepers states “If a tavern-keeper (feminine) does not accept corn according to gross weight in payment of drink but takes money, and the price of the drink is less than that of the corn, she shall be convicted and thrown into the water.” This law only applies to women demonstrating how their punishments are more severe. Men seem to be more important in this society and hold more power than women. These laws put men on top of the social ladder and everyone else under them. These laws infer that women and their children should be submissive to their husbands. If they are not, they will be harshly punished. The laws of Hammurabi’s code indicate that marriage is considered important in Mesopotamian society. The punishments for committing adultery include being thrown in the river while being tied up, jumping in the river, or returning to the homes of their parents. The punishment for stealing any property is immediate death. This tells the readers that property is valuable in Mesopotamia’s society and should have a more intense punishment if stolen from the