Hammurabi's Code
The Code of Hammurabi "was issued and imposed" (Polushin 15) by "an able and ambitious king"(Polushin 15), Hammurabi, who ruled the city-states of Mesopotamia. The code of Hammurabi was originally made of 282 rules/articles however several are known to have been erased by later rulers and conquerors. The knowledge of King Hammurabi's code has survived because of its discovery in 1901 by a French archeologist. The nature of codes go back to the dawn of history and involve such subject matter as property, social status, punishments, and domestic issues. It reveals a glimpse into how these ancient people governed themselves and how their society was socially stratified. After reading the text of the Code of Hammurabi supplied by Polushin I am led to seek my own analysis to the society's attitude towards slaves in situations of intent and neglect. In certain cases the slave is seen as a very important element to the society and then in contrast later observed as expendable. In the Code of Hammurabi articles fifteen through twenty refer specifically to runaway slaves and consequential treatment of surrounding them in several cases. These articles supply rulings for cases that led to the conclusion that slaves were considered valuab
Continuing the reading of the Code of Hammurabi in later articles there seems to be evidence that contrast the earlier views of slaves regarding injury or death done to a slave by means of carelessness on the part of another. The slave though is the lowest role in society he or she is of high property value. A similar example of this same situation is seen in article two hundred twenty-nine which says that "If a builder has built a house a for a man, and has not made his work sound, and the house he has built has fallen, and caused the death of its owner, that builder shall be put to death. The slave is seen clearly as a replaceable property. This is significant because there are several examples in the Code of Hammurabi showing leniency to the elites. " It is also important to note that the code makes no special treatment to the elites or commoners. Moreover it allowed for the analysis of consequences of intent and neglect on the subject of slaves. " Once again the injurer is subject to a lesser punishment for his neglect of his skill against a slave versus an elite. One would assume from earlier analysis in articles fifteen to twenty that the consequence would be nearly as severe or the same. In contrast to punishment to for either helping a fugitive slave runaway or harboring a fugitive slave by death one is rewarded for returning a fugitive slave. This contrast is striking because the society places a heavier consequence on the harboring or theft of a fugitive slave than on a slave killed by the hands of another. This can be noted in article sixteen: "If a man has induced either a male or female slave form the house of a patrician's, or plebeian's house, and has not caused the fugitive to leave on the demand of the officer over the slaves condemned to public forced labor, that householder shall be put to death. For example, if the captor for whatever reason fails to return the fugitive slave to his or her owner and the habors the slav in stead the consequence if caught is death. " versus article two hundred nineteen which states that "If the surgeon has treated a serious injury of a plebeian's slave with the bronze lancet , and caused his death, he shall render slave for slave. What is even more radical is one could face the death sentence if it becomes known that there is a runaway slave hiding in your house.
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Acceptance Essays
