A Miltary Style

While there many diverse ways of ruling over land, some ways can be seen to work more efficiently than others. King Hammurabi had a certain way of ruling which he was partial to; he governed the land with his strength and force. Hammurabi’s laws are described as “the longest and best organized of the law collections of Mesopotamia” (71). Whether or not his methods used the best type of incentives to keep peace throughout the land is debatable. But there is no doubt that these laws were extremely effective.

King Hammurabi was a military leader. Consequentially, he ruled the same way he would manage a military group; with utmost control and discipline. Observing this unforgiving tactic in law is quite shocking. Not only does it yield deathly results but it also brings in other aspects of people’s character that might not have been punished usually.

It is interesting that Hammurabi not only penalized those people who physically went against the law but also those who wronged verbally. One of Hammurabi’s laws states that “If a man accuses another man and charges his with homicide but then cannot bring proof against him, his accuser shall be killed” (72). Under his laws, a man would be held accountable for his words just as much as any other action. To betray and falsely accuse someone of wrongdoing was as bad a crime as any other. This harsh system might have been put in place because of his military point of view. In war, a betrayal could lead to a person’s death just as easily as a bullet could.

The harsh policies Hammurabi employed were gruesome. He used the battle-like way of thinking to push his laws forward and onto his subjects. Despite all criticism, it worked; Mesopotamia had one of the most incredible set of laws put in place during King Hammurabi’s rule.