The death penalty has been in man's society dating back to ancient times. There have been a variety of crimes that have been punishable by the death, anything from selling beer to murder. In modern society the death penalty , otherwise known as "capital punishment", is still used to enforce the laws of man in many different cultures. As we move into the twenty- first century questions, both old and new, have been raised about this controversial topic. For example, is the death penalty an effective punishment for violent crimes? Or, should society have the right to kill a criminal in the best interest of mankind? Like any other controversial topic, there are many pros and cons but the real question is, which side is right?
             The death penalty was enforced in almost every ancient civilization, including the Egyptians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hebrews, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Many of these civilizations provided cruel and harsh deaths for crimes that may be considered of minor offense today. For example under the code of Hammurabi if someone was caught selling beer , they would be killed (Encyclopedia Americana). If one accidentally sat on the King's throne they would be sentenced to death under the Persian law (Encyclopedia Americana). In Rome, if a woman stole the keys to her husbands wine cellar she could be executed (Encyclopedia Americana). Although these crimes may seem a bit petty for the death penalty, ancient civilizations also punished the crimes of murder, rape, and treason with death. Not only were the crimes that were punishable by death a bit ridiculous in ancient times, but so were the methods and procedures of carrying out the execution. Nearly every execution was made into a public event. The town or city would gather to the place were the criminal was to be executed and would then watch or, in certain cases such as "stoning" , even participate in the execution. In time in became a ceremony , a part of the civiliz...