Literature Study GuidesCode Of Hammurabi

Code of Hammurabi | Study Guide

Hammurabi

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Course Hero. "Code of Hammurabi Study Guide." Course Hero. 24 Feb. 2020. Web. 30 Sep. 2023. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Code-of-Hammurabi/>.

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Course Hero. (2020, February 24). Code of Hammurabi Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved September 30, 2023, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Code-of-Hammurabi/

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Course Hero. "Code of Hammurabi Study Guide." February 24, 2020. Accessed September 30, 2023. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Code-of-Hammurabi/.

Footnote

Course Hero, "Code of Hammurabi Study Guide," February 24, 2020, accessed September 30, 2023, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Code-of-Hammurabi/.

Overview

Author

Hammurabi

Year Written

c. 1750 BCE

Type

Primary Source

Genre

History

At a Glance

  • The Code of Hammurabi is a set of laws decreed by King Hammurabi, the ruler of Babylonia from about 1792 to 1750 BCE.
  • Babylonia (in what is now Iraq) was located in Mesopotamia, the ancient region located primarily between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
  • Hammurabi expanded Babylonia from a handful of city-states into a vast empire. His intention was to be a just ruler and improve his subjects' lives through the building of public works and the establishment of a code of laws.
  • The Code of Hammurabi includes 282 laws that address ordinary legal situations and prescribe penalties. The punishments are often harsh and vary based on the perpetrator's social status.
  • The laws cover a range of topics including murder, theft, assault, divorce, inheritance, taxes, lending, and commercial practices.
  • Hammurabi had the laws inscribed on stelae, or tall stone pillars, and displayed in public places to inform his subjects.
  • Hammurabi's kingdom collapsed after his death, but his code survived as a model for laws in other cultures and time periods.

Summary

This study guide for Hammurabi's Code of Hammurabi offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.

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