Importance of Military Power

From chapter 10, Hammurabi's legacy is largely founded on his military power. As a result, his reign and his reputation are therefore largely founded on fear, which by most people's standards, ancient or modern, is a very negative method of influencing people. However, when military power is combined with ideological justification and political propaganda, the perception of the uses of fear can be directed towards a constructive end.

We discussed in class how the source materials or at least Van De Mieroop portray Hammurabi in such an incredibly positive light. When one considers the harshness of the laws, the complete domination of his neighbors and even Hammurabi's testaments to/of himself, "I am the fear-inspiring, who when lifting his fierce eyes, gives the disobedient the death sentence" (127), it seems odd that such violence would inspire trust and praise. Therefore, it seems plausible that the feelings behind the messages is one of respect for his might and threat of force, sycophantic flattery of supporters, or even direct propaganda. In any of these cases, the main power at work is military might as established through Hammurabi's wide conquests. However, the raw power is tempered and shaped by the ideological guise of working for justice and peace, "this peaceful theme remains by far the strongest . . ."(124) or as Van De Mieroop calls it, "an age-old belligerent ideology that military action is a justified means to bring peace and justice to the conquered lands" (122). This seems to be the only way to explain the paradox of Hammurabi's use of violence and his reputation today as a "shining example of a just ruler to be remembered for eternity" (122).