Discuss what the law code of Hammurabi tells us about family relations and class division in Mesopotamian society
The law code of Hammurabi is clear on family relations, including the husband and the wife. While the husband seems to be favored by the law, the wife has fewer rights. It says the husband has the marital rights to the wife. The law code of Hammurabi tells us that the husband has an obligation to protect the wife whenever she is wrong in their marriage. On the other hand, it protects the woman from extreme punishment. It also protects the family unit. The law code of Hammurabi states the husband’s rights and roles several. When a husband is willing to divorce his wife, he is required by the law code of Hammurabi to pay a divorce settlement. A good example is law 138, which talks about a divorce involving a wife who failed to bear children. The husband in the 138 law has to pay a full amount of money for the wife’s marriage price and also make good of the dowry the wife brought from her home before he divorces her. However, if the man is a peasant, the law requires him to pay a third mina of silver.
What happens to the wife is entirely in control of the husband. He can spare her life if she is found cheating with another man. According to the law code of Hammurabi, when a wife is caught having a sexual affair with another man, they should both face death by drowning in water. However, the man has the right to spare the wife. Yet, the woman has no such right. The man was also given the right to drown his wife if she ever humiliated him. This means the man had full control over her but not the other way round. The man should have a legal contract for a woman to be his wife. This is the protection of the woman by the law code of Hammurabi by letting her only become someone’s wife only when they have a legal contract connecting them. The wife also has the benefit of the law since she can take back the dowry to her father is she feels that she hates the husband so much. However, the wife has to prove that it is not her fault.
The wife can also be drowned can also face death by drowning is she is found to have neglected her house. This is a protection of the family unit by the law code of Hammurabi. The law also prohibits people from embarrassing the name of the family and others in the family. If a woman asks for a divorce, she can’t have everything to enable the man to start another family and protect the current one. The law code of Hammurabi tells us that the family unit was an essential division in Mesopotamian society. On class divisions, it states three classes; the Awilum (upper class), the Mushkenum (freeman class), and the Werdum (slave class).
What theme in the epic Gilgamesh can be found in later literature?
The writing of the epic Gilgamesh assisted in laying the base for several literary elements for the contemporary world by telling a captivating and thoughtful story to which we can still connect currently. It has the use of themes that remain prevalent in much of the literally written work today. The themes in the epic Gilgamesh and can be found in later literature include a warning of the unknown, the question of death, and motivation by a loved one.