Law Code Of Hammurabi Essay

The Ancient Mesopotamian cultures, Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria, have left their permanent mark on history. Whether in law or literature, like The Law Code of Hammurabi and The Legend of Sargon respectively, the imprint left by those ancient peoples is clear. The continuing influence of Mesopotamian cultures is still a part of modern cultures. One of the most well known products of the Mesopotamian cultures, The Law Code of Hammurabi, inscribed on a giant stele that is now displayed in the Louvre Museum of Paris, is the embodiment of the cultures’ lingering imprint. While not the oldest law code to be discovered, The Law Code of Hammurabi is one of the first to exemplify the idea of the accused being innocent until proven guilty, something that has been carried over into modern law. (History.com Staff) The code’s laws, while at times seemingly harsh,

The founder of the Akkadian empire, Sargon I of Akkad set himself apart in that, rather than presenting himself as god-ordained ruler, he revealed his humbler background as a foundling raised by a foster parent, for whom he named Akkad. (Mark) According to Joshua J. Mark, Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, by sharing his autobiography, The Legend of Sargon, King Sargon “distanced himself the kings of the past who claimed divine right and aligned himself with the common people of the region.” Beyond the narrative’s impacts in its own time, Sargon’s “rags-to-riches” story was perhaps the first in its narrative genre. Throughout time similar backstories of abandonment or orphanhood became the norm for story heroes, even modern day characters such as Batman. (Sayre) Despite the fact that Sargon of Akkad’s narrative is not widely read, its influence and, therefore, that of Mesopotamian literature, is