Download Aim: How did strong rulers shape life in the Fertile Crescent?

Do Now: copy Mesopotamia vocabulary into your notebooks
Empire – groups of states or territories governed by one
ruler
Code of Hammurabi* – the 1 st major collection of laws in
human history, named after Babylon’s most powerful ruler,
Hammurabi
 Empire – groups of states or territories governed by
one ruler
 Code of Hammurabi* – the 1st major collection of
laws in human history, named after Babylon’s most
powerful ruler, Hammurabi
Laws of
Ancient
Babylonian
King
- In 1790 BC, king wrote the world’s 1st large collection of
laws onto stone pillars in the center of town
Legal
Principles of
Hammurabi
-Established the principle ‘an eye for an eye, tooth for
tooth’ as a method to punish lawbreakers.
-Punishments would also be based upon the social class
of the lawbreaker. Wealthy citizens paid fines,
commoners were physically punished.
Impact of
Hammurabi’s
Code
-All modern justice systems are based upon a written set
of laws.
-Death penalty is based largely on ‘an eye for an eye’
 Which contribution of the Mesopotamia civilization
has had the biggest impact on your life?