Hammurabi was the ruler, who established the greatness of Babylon, the world’s first metropolis. Hammurabi had succeeded in conquering neighbouring states in Mesopotamia, and in establishing a stable empire. In part, he achieved this stability by means of a set of laws that he drew up. In fact, the most remarkable of his achievements is his code of laws. This code is the earliest-known example of a ruler proclaiming publicly to his people an entire body of laws, arranged in orderly groups, so that all men might read and know what was required of them. The code begins and ends with addresses to the gods. Since the laws were clearly written down, everyone was expected to obey them. Hammurabi stated specifically that the strong should not oppress the weak, and that the widow and orphan should get justice.
The code was important at the time, because it was the basis for consolidating the rule of law throughout an empire. It is important today, because it reveals the way human rights were beginning to emerge in Babylonia, as Hammurabi sought to protect all classes of Babylonian society. It also shows that many of today’s problems existed in Babylon too.
