The Law Codes Of Hammurabi

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Around 4000-3500 BC the first cities were built between the Tigris and Euphrates River, in the civilization of Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia is Greek for “Between our Rivers”. These two rivers made the land of Mesopotamia flourish. Settling near rivers was one of many ideas that influenced many cultures and civilizations that would follow the Mesopotamian civilization. Mesopotamian society has had significant ties in history in many aspects. One of the most influential was their moral beliefs. Their moral beliefs were based on The Law Codes of Hammurabi. Throughout this essay, I will show the importance of the Law Codes of Hammurabi.
Mesopotamia had a patriarchal society. The Law Codes of Hammurabi accounted men more valuable than women, mainly for war. Mesopotamian society was based on the belief that kings, warriors, priests, and government officials were more important than people in the lower class such as slaves and merchants. In 1792 B.C.E. this belief was set into play and highlighted in a text from Mesopotamia known as The Law Codes of Hammurabi, or the Code of Hammurabi, or even the Hammurabi Code as it is also known …show more content…

It was sometimes left up to the gods to determine if a person was guilty or innocent. The Hammurabi Code grouped citizens into one of the following three categories: 1) free men and women, 2) commoners, and 3) slaves. The social class had an impact on the punishment an individual would receive; a free man or woman’s punishment would not be as harsh as a slaves’ punishment would be. An example of this is separation in classes is shown in Law number 196, 198, and 199. They are as followed: (196.) If a man has destroyed the eye of a free man, his own eye shall be destroyed; (198.) If he has destroyed the eye of a commoner…he shall pay one mina ; (199.) If he has destroyed the eye of a man’s slave….he shall pay half his

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