The Code of Hammurabi: A Landmark in Legal History
Dating to around 1792 BCE, the Code of Hammurabi is one of the earliest and most famous legal codes, with 282 laws inscribed on a stone stele covering vast aspects of Babylonian society. Its defining principle was retributive justice ("an eye for an eye") with proportional, yet class-dependent, punishments. This foundational written law reinforced state authority and set a crucial precedent for future legal systems.
The Code of Hammurabi, established around 1792 BCE by the Babylonian king Hammurabi, is one of the earliest known legal codes. Discovered in 1902 on a stone stele, the code consists of 282 laws covering various aspects of society, including trade, property rights, family law, and criminal justice. A defining feature of the code is its principle of retributive justice—"an eye for an eye"—which dictated that punishments should correspond to the severity of the offense. The laws also distinguished between social classes, prescribing harsher penalties for crimes committed against the upper class while offering some protection to the weak.
Hammurabi positioned himself as a just ruler who sought to maintain order and protect his people. The code reinforced the authority of the state, ensuring legal uniformity across Babylon. Although some of its harsh penalties would be considered extreme today, the Code of Hammurabi set an important precedent for written law and influenced future legal systems, including those of ancient Greece and Rome. Its legacy remains a foundational reference in the history of legal thought.
