Hammurabi
Hammurabi
Circa 1792 - circa 1750 b.c.e.
King of Babylon
Conqueror and Lawgiver. When Hammurabi first came to the throne, he ruled a small area around the city of Babylon— including the nearby cities of Kish, Sippar, and Borsippa—he was the subject of the king Rim-Sin of Larsa. In his thirtieth regnal year Hammurabi defeated Rim-Sin and seized control of much of central and southern Mesopotamia. Two years later, circa 1760 b.c.e., Hammurabi gained control of Eshnunna, the dominant city in the Diyala River valley, and further north, the city of Ashur on the Tigris. These conquests gave him control over the trade routes to and from the Iranian plateau. In the following year, to gain control of the trade routes to the west, Hammurabi attacked Mari on the middle Euphrates, eventually tearing down its walls. This conquest made him the sole and undisputed master of Mesopotamia, a kingdom his successors were unable to retain. Hammurabi was greatly revered in future generations, who read, studied, and recopied his law code, royal inscriptions, and royal correspondence. A substantial portion of his law code is devoted to marriage and family law.
Sources
Amélie Kuhrt, The Ancient Near East c. 3000–330 B.C., 2 volumes (London & New York: Routledge, 1995).