Portrait: AI-generated imagined likeness
Monarch · Politician
King of the ancient Babylonian kingdom. Unified Mesopotamia and is known for the Code of Hammurabi. He is a person who thinks about kingship, law, and urban society in the ancient Orient.
View in catalogBabylon
Work
Code of Hammurabi
Law
Unification of Mesopotamia under Babylon
1792 BC–1750 BC
Political event · Leader
Map: Natural Earth (PD)
Born into a royal family in Babylon, he ascended the throne in Mesopotamia, where surrounding city-states competed. They ruled in an urban civilization that combined irrigated agriculture, trade, and a temple economy.
They expanded their power militarily and diplomatically, establishing control over Babylon. The legal code detailed social status, family, commercial transactions, and punishment, and expressed the idea that the king would uphold justice.
The Code of Hammurabi is famous for its expression "an eye for an eye," but in reality it has complex provisions that include differences in social status and property relations. It specifically conveys the idea of order of ancient society.
When we study King Hammurabi, we learn that law was used in ancient states to legitimize royal power, control society, and stabilize economic activity. It is also useful for comparison with ancient Egyptian and Chinese governance ideas. It can also be used for comparison with surrounding areas from the same era.
