Ancient Mesopotamian society was and is the foundation for most modern civilizations. To understand the present, we can look at the influence of the past; in this essay, I will discuss the major similarities and differences between two of Mesopotamia’s most prominent empires: militaristic, superstitious, and patriarchal Assyria, and Babylonia, well-known for its advanced law and religion, as well as its fluid social caste system. There are three main elements of society I believe to be linked in such a way that they will provide a strong understanding of these ancient worlds. Assyria and Babylonia will be analyzed and compared in the areas of organized government, formal religion, and social classes. The organized governments of Assyria and …show more content…
Both societies’ rulers were believed to be in power as a result of divine ordinance. Hammurabi himself explicitly states in the introduction to his code of law that “When Marduk sent me (him) to rule over men to give the protection of right to the land, I (he) did right and righteousness in…and brought about the well-being of the oppressed” (Code of Hammurabi 4). Marduk is the chief Babylonian god. This code, known as “Hammurabi’s Code” or “The Code of Hammurabi,” was the first written law known to exist, and served to standardize law across all Babylonian territory. The code was written in a cause and effect pattern, which differs from the Assyrian justice system; the Assyrian king had a court and administrators instead of one universal code. However, “ancient Assyria did not have courts or judges as we know them. The office of the administration listened to witnesses from both sides and examined any related evidence” (Landau 39). Another difference in their governments is the way law affected women, and what power women had in each society. To put it simply, …show more content…
These civilizations both descended from Sumer, and both adopted their culture and gods. The Babylonians’ chief god, Marduk, and the Assyrians’ Assur mutually identified with Sumer’s Enlil. The novel The Assyrian Empire states that “These gods…were seen as having human form as well as human qualities, frailties, and passions. ‘In brief…they represented the best and worst of human nature on a super human scale’” (Nardo 21). The main difference between their religions was the manner in which they were integrated into society, starting from the major decision makers of the lands: the kings. In Assyria, the king’s life was greatly influenced by high priests and royal astrologers. Rulers carefully heeded their advice, and after forecasting an ill-fated event, these religious leaders were charged with determining the next course of action (Landau 34-36). The power of religion also translated down to commoners. “Magic, rituals, and fortune-telling, were an important part of Assyrian religion,” says Landau. “These ancient people believed that thousands of deities (gods) capable of influencing a person’s fate existed…however, most common people were only concerned with a few gods whom they thought directly affected everyday life…the Assyrians believed that harmful spirits existed all around them…the Assyrians appealed to benevolent, or kindhearted, spirits to protect