Promulgation of Hammurabi’s Code
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: The Ancient World, Prehistory-476
- Categories: Government and Politics, Royalty, Rulers, Nobility, Law, Legal History, Courts
- Subcategories: Kings, Queens, Kingdoms, Monarchy, Empires, Dynasties, Laws, Acts, Legislation
- Curriculum: Middle Eastern History, Ancient History
- Geographical Location: Iraq
- Date: c. 1770
Article abstract: The Babylonian king Hammurabi promoted public order by amending and codifying existing laws and carving them on stone pillars in public places so that they were accessible to the entire populace.
Summary of Event
Hammurabi’s laws are neither the oldest extant laws nor even a law code as the term is popularly understood, but this does not alter the fact that their promulgation and preservation constitute a landmark in history. Early Sumerian political and religious thought, which became normative for subsequent peoples who invaded or...
[The entire page is 2053 words long]