Epicureanism

Epicurus was born in 341 B.C. and was the founder of Epicureanism. He was an Athenian born on the island of Samos.

Epicurus was privately tutored by his father until he was eighteen when he joined the Athenian military. In 311 B.C. he taught at a school in Lesvos, and later became the head of the school. In 306 B.C. he returned to Athens for life and began teaching. His life took place after the death of Alexander the Great. When Epicurus was about seventy-two, he suffered from kidney stones.

Epicurus' philosophies would combine a physics based on an atomistic materialism and a rational hedonistic ethics. Epicurus had an optomistic worldview. His philosophies taught us that we can find hapiness in every situation. Epicurus gave practical insights for human psychology. It says that there is a purpose for intellect developement in western civilization. (source)

A benefit to having an epicureanistic worldview is you see things optomistically, meaning that you see the good in things. I think that a weakness in having an Epicureanistic worldview is the fact that you have a lot of questions, but no answers. God can answer all our questions, but if it is a question of the divinity of God then they would not view him as a valid source, so they wouldn't no the answer.

If God listened to the prayers of men, all men would quickly have perished: for they are forever praying for evil against one another. (Epicurus)

Epicurus promoted optimisticism, in which he saw the good in the bad. He made a strong basis for even some modern philosophy. But even the benefits of Epicureanism, there were pleanty of weaknesses.

O'Brien, Patrick K., gen. ed. "Epicurus." Encyclopedia of World History. Copyright George Philip Limited. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2000.

Boucquey, Thierry, gen. ed. "Epicurus." Encyclopedia of World Writers, Beginnings through the 13th Century. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005.

Plato

Plato was a Greek philosopher who was one of the greatest thinkers in western philosophy. He lived from about 428 to 347 B.C. He was an aristocrat born in Athens.

Plato's father was Ariston who was believed to be the descendant of one of the early kings of Athens and his mother was Perictione who claimed to be a relative of Solon, one of the early lawmakers. He came from a wealthy, aristocratic, and influential family. When Plato was young, his father died and his mother was remarried to Pyrilampes, an associate of Pericles.

Plato entire childhood took place during the Peloponnesian War which he may have been a Calvary man for some time during it. Plato had about 30 written works all in the rare form of Prose dialog. He traveled to Italy where he met followers of Pythagoras, which seem to have affected his views on death. He also traveled to Sicily where he impacted one of the kinsman of Dionysus, the emperor.

Plato joined the dynamic circle of Socrates and eventually became his greatest pupil. The only reason we know so much about Socrates is because Plato wrote dialogs about Socrates and others discussing philosophical ideas. Plato's greatest student was Aristotle. One of Plato's greatest writings was "The Republic" and it was one of the single most influential writings in western philosophy. "The Republic" asks two questions. The questions asked are What is the states justice, and what is a just man? "The Republic" discusses how to have a good life.

In 387, Plato founded an academy in a suburb outside of Athens, which consisted of a gymnasium and a park. This school of philosophy was sacred to the ancient ruler Akademos. The primary goal of the academy was to train the future leaders of Athens and other city-states. We can see how the lessons were taught by some of Plato's written dialogs. One of the most prevailing students at the academy was Aristotle who was at the academy in an early age, in a time where there were no fees at the academy. The teachings gradually became more mathematical and abstract until Arcesilaus brought the academy back to philosophical Skepticism. The academy lasted over 900 years and eventually brought in students from Rome and Byzantine. Even after the death of Plato, the school kept going until The emperor of Byzantine, Justinian, closed it.

Plato died in 347 B.C. After the death of Plato, not Aristotle, but Plato's nephew Speusippus took over the academy. Even after he died, his academy went on for centuries.

Sacks, David. "The Academy." Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. Revised by Lisa R. Brody. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005.

Sacks, David. "Plato." Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. Revised by Lisa R. Brody. New York: Facts on File, Inc., 2005.

Socrates

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who profoundly effected western philosophy. He lived from 469 to 399 B.C.E. He was the teacher of Plato, who taught Aristotle.

Socrates was born in Athens, Greece to Sophroniscus, a sculptor, and Phaenarete. He had regular education in elementary literature, music, and gymnastics, and eventually became a potter, following the craft of his father. Socrates was tutored by Archelaus. For awhile, he was interested in science, influenced by the works of Anaxagoras, but eventually gave that up to study of the development of moral character. After awhile, he decided to become a stonemason and raise his children with his wife, Xanthippe. Finally, Socrates decided to practice philosophical dialog. (source)

Socrates was not one to simply ask one question, he would ask many questions. In Plato's Meno, which is a dialog between Socrates and Meno, there is a whole discussion on whether virtue can be taught. He asks a lot of questions and finally decides that virtue is a gift given by the gods, not distributed to everyone, so virtue is not something that can be taught. On the other hand, Plato thinks that virtue is a type of knowledge, therefore can be taught. Socrates said some very famous things.

The unexamined life is not worth living.

If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap, whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be content to take their own and depart.

As portrayed in Meno, he couldn't accept yes or no for an answer. Even the fictional character of Meno was confused by some of the brilliant thinkings of Socrates.

Socrates made no writings in his lifetime, so all his teachings we have to get through the writings of his students. Some of his most prevailing students were Plato, who tutored Aristotle, and Xenophon. The only problem is that Plato was someone who would mix his own ideas into the teachings of Socrates, so we can't be sure of his exact teachings, but we do have an accurate idea of his methods. Socrates very much believed in the pursuit of truth. (source) One of Socrates conclusions was that happiness depends solely on living a moral life. Socrates was even compared to Jesus for his arguments in the area of religion.

Socrates tried to stay away from politics, but was tried for ignoring the gods, and bringing in new divine beings. He was sentenced to death by drinking Hemlock, the standard death sentence in Athens. He was sentenced to drink it in the evening, but drank it on his own earlier that day. Socrates died in 399 BC leaving behind a great legacy.

Sacks, David. "Socrates." Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. Revised by Lisa R. Brody. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online.

Sheldon, Garrett Ward. "Socrates, political thought of." Encyclopedia of Political Thought. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2001. Ancient and Medieval History Online.

Plato's Meno

Plato's Meno was written in 380 B.C. and is a discussion between Socrates, and a character named Meno. It is a very long discussion about virtues: The definition, and whether or not they can be taught. The character of Socrates has so much thoughts and asks a lot of questions, which is comon in philosophy.

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who lived from 469 to 399 BC. He was born in Athens and affected western philosophy greatly through his teachings to Plato. Socrates was the son of Sophroniscus, who was a sculptor, and Phaenarete, who was considered a midwife, and he had elementary teaching in literature, music, and gymnastics. He took on his father's profession as a sculptor and created the statue of 3 Graces that stood at the entrance of the Acropolis until the 2nd century. He also was a soldier serving in the Peloponnesian War as an infantry man. The Socrates portrayed in Plato's Meno is trying to decide whether virtue is something that can be taught.Socrates was a man who believed that arguments were more meaningful than any writing. He obeyed the law, but tried to stay away from politics, but in 399 BC, he was charged with neglecting the gods and bringing in new divinities. His friends offered to help him escape, but he refused because he wanted to die with dignity. He spent his last day on earth with family and friends, and in the evening, he willingly drank a glass of hemlock and died. (source)

Plato was a Greek philosopher and one of the greatest thinkers in western philosophy. He was born in Athens in about 428 BC and died around 347 BC. He was born to Ariston( who was believed to be a descendant from one of the early kings of Athens) and Perictione, an Aristocratic family. When he was a young man, his father died and he became a disciple of Socrates. In 399 BC he witnessed the death of Socrates and in fear of his own life, fled to Sicittending the academy was Aristotle. In 367 BC, he went to Sicily to tutor Dionysiusly, Italy, and Egypt. After returning to Athens, in 387 he created the Academy in Athens, which was the first university in Europe. The Academy offered such subjects as astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. One of the best students a, who was the new ruler of Syracuse, in philosophical rule. He had no success, but returned to Sicily in 361, this time having little success. Socrates died at around 80 years old and had spent the last years of his life teaching at the Academy and writings. Most of his writings were in dialogues of philosophical ideas. His earliest works were 35 dialogues and 13 letters. One of his greatest works was called Meno. Many of Plato's works were long discussions on topics like virtues, wisdom, courage, and moderation, and many of them were acurate discussions of Socrates.(source)

Plato 's Meno is a long story that is a discussion between Socrates and a character named Meno. In the discussion, Socrates is asking about virtue and if it is something that can be taught. For a long time, they are first trying to define what virtue really is. One of Meno's suggestions is that virtue is the desire of good things, which Socrates says that all man desires good in some way, and the power to secure those things. After a while in the discussion, even Meno is confused by the teachings of Socrates. Meno wants to go back to the original question of whether or not virtue can be taught, and Socrates has two ideas. One is that virtue is a type of knowledge, so it is teachable, and his other is that if there is any good that is not knowledge, then virtue ifs not knowledge, therefore, can not be taught. Meno decides for himself that virtue can be taught, but Socrates till is wondering. In the end, Socrates decides that virtue can not be taught, nor can you be born with it. He thinks that virtue is just a gift from the gods only given to certain people.

Meno is a great work that teaches us a lot and gives us different perspectives. We see that there are more answers than just yes and no, or right or wrong. Even socrates and Meno end up having difference in opinions.

Meno. Plato. 380 B.C.E.


Sacks, David. "Socrates." Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. Revised by Lisa R. Brody. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005.

Greek Architecture

Ancient Greek Architecture was extinct around 1200 BC near the end of the Mycenaean period. We don't have much left of the most early buildings because they were made from wood, mud-bricks, or clay, but we do have remains of limestone columns, which were common in Greek architecture. The Greeks used bronze for detailed decorative things. They had 5 different types of buildings which were religious, civic, domestic, funerary, or recreational. They also had 3 different types of architecture which were Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian.

The three styles, Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian, were styles of columns that were used in temples, which is not surprising because religion was dominant in Greek society. The Ionic style was thinner and more elegant, with a scroll-like top to it. The Ionic style was found in eastern Greece and the Greek Island s and was used in many famous temples. This style was used in the Erechtheum, the temple of Apollo, and the temple of Athena. The Doric style is more sturdy than the others and is decorated with a plain top. This style is found in the mainland of Greece, southern Italy, and Sicily, and was used in the making of the Parthenon. The Corinthian style is seldom used. It has a very elaborate top and is found in many temples in Rome.

The Parthenon is an Ancient Greek temple. It was built from 447 to 442 BC dedicated to the goddess Athena. The Parthenon was one of the earliest and simplest of the Greek Architecture and was built on the Acropolis in Athens. The Parthenon was built by Greek architects Actinus and Callicrates. The Parthenon was a designed as a large, marble, rectangular table that had 17 columns on the length and 8 columns on the width. The Parthenon measures at about 102 x 230 feet. The east end of the Parthenon was a representation of the birth of the goddess Athena and how she sprang out of Zeus' head fully grown. The west end of the Parthenon was designed to represent the contest between Athena and Poseidon to see who the Patron of Athens would be. The victor of that contest was said to be Athena because her gift of the olive branch proved to be more useful then Poseidon's gift of the horse. The outer columns have representations of battles. In the center chamber of the Parthenon, there was a statue of Athena made from ivory and gold. At the base of the statue, there is an image representing the birth of Pandora, who was said to be the first person on earth. Though the statue is no longer there, we have heard of it through writings of the Greek poet Pausanias. Another temple to the goddess Athena was the Tegea which was burnt down in 390 BC, but was rebuilt and is one of the greatest temples around today.

The Erectheion is located in Athens, Greece and was built from 425 to 421 BC. The Erectheion was famous for its ionic style and because it had caryatid columns in the shape of women. The temple is a sanctuary to the god Poseidon and the goddess Athena and is said to be the place where Athena's olive tree sprung and where Poseidon left his trident marks in the stone. The Erectheion was named after the mythical Greek king Erectheus and was built by Greek Architect Mnesicles. The building was a rectangular cellar that was divided into three rooms. The south end of it is the Porch of the Caryatids where the Maiden Statues once were. The Erectheion was built on a hilltop where there is a Mediterranean climate. This temple is stone cut and is put on one of the most sacred parts of the Acropolis.

The Greeks made great advances in architecture and came up with ideas that are still utilized today. The White house has Ionic style columns around it as well as the Capital buildings and many other historical buildings in Washington D.C. The Greek architectural designs have helped America a lot.

Prag, A. Facts on File Encyclopedia of Art, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc. 2005.

Sacks, David. Encyclopedia of the Ancient Greek World, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc. 2005.

The Influential Writings of Homer

The tales of the Iliad and the Odyssey, are written by the poet Homer. The Iliad is a tale of the Trojan war, and the Odyssey is a tale of the journeys of Odysseus. Homer is known for writing epics.

Homer was was a Greek poet who wrote the epic tales of the Iliad and the Odyssey. He lived 0around the twelfth century. His writings, that varied from tales of the Trojan war to poems about his sons, were very influential to Ancient Greek history.Some characters Homer wrote of were Achilles, Ajax, Agamemnon, Menelaus, Helen, Paris, Hector, Odysseus, and Penelope, and some of the Olympian gods he wrote of were Aphrodite, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Zeus, Hera, and Hephaestus. Although Homer is the name given to the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, many scholars still argue if there wasn't actually a Greek Poet named Homer.

One of the influential writings of Homer was the Iliad. The Iliad is a tale of the Trojan war and takes place nine years after the war is started. Many of the gods take place in the war and fight in battles. The war could have ended, but the gods kept it going. In the Iliad, there are twenty four books about the war over Paris abducting Helen, the queen of Sparta. The gods interfere many times in the war. An example of this is when Achilles is going to kill Agamemnon, but is stopped by Athena. Aphrodite interferes when Paris and Menelaus are dueling, and Paris is about to die, and Aphrodite takes him away to Helen. Even Zeus, the neutral god, sends a false dream to Agamemnon, telling him to prepare for battle and then there is conflict. Eventually in the Iliad, Zeus sides with the Trojans.

The Odyssey is a twenty-four book epic of the journey home of Odysseus. Odysseus is a Greek hero from the Trojan war who is forced to wander the earth for ten years before he can return home. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and his wife is Penelope. During his journey, he is captured by a cyclops named Polyphemus. Odysseus escapes by blinding the cyclops who turns out to be the son of Poseidon. Odysseus is forced to live with Calypso, a sea nymph, but he escapes with the help of Athena. When Odysseus is finally ready to return home, there are men waiting to kill him however, with the help of Athena, he overcomes them.

The Iliad and the Odyssey are great epics and are found in almost every high school in America. Whether or not there was actually a Greek poet named Homer, we owe a lot to the writings of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Homer. The Iliad. Barnes and Noble Books. New York. 2005.

Homer. The Odyssey. The Harvard Classics. New York. 1914.

The New Kingdom of Egypt

The New Kingdom of Egypt had many great pharaohs. Those pharaohs saw Egypt through many changes such as expansion of its territory, changes in capital cities, and the popularization of Egyptian art. Although there were many great pharaohs, three of the most significant were Amenhotep I, Hatshepsut, and Tutankhamen.

Amenhotep I, whose name means, "Amen is satisfied," was the child of Ahmose I and Nefretiri. He ruled from 1526-1506 BC during the 18th dynasty, and he made Thebes his capital and Merytamun his main queen. In order to obtain the throne, Amenhotep I had to outlive his two older brothers, Ahmose Sapair and Ahmose-ankh. He is best known for his military expansion in Nubia and Syria. Amenhotep I was the first to seperate his tomb, located in the Valley of The Kings sectionKV39, and his burial complex.

Hatshepsut, the daughter of Thuthmose I and Aahmus and sister to Tuthmose II, was the first successful female pharaoh to take the throne. While the rightful heir, Tuthmose III was very young and uneducated, she was educated in imperial administration, so she claimed herself to be the pharaoh of Egypt. One reason Hatshepsut was so successful was because no one saw the pharaoh much in those times, so no one knew she was a woman. To help with this, she would dress as a man. A major downfall of being a female pharaoh was that she couldn't go to war, because if they were to win, she would get no credit and the Egyptians would think that they don't need a pharaoh. However, if they lost, she would be blamed for losing. Hatshepsut married her half-brother, Thuthmose II, and was not able to produce a male heir to the throne.

Tutankhamen, meaning, Living Image of The Aten, is popularly known as King Tut. During his reign, he made his capital in Akehenateten, which means Horizon of the Aten, and his main wife was Ankhesenpaaten. Tutankhamen ruled ruled from 1333-1325 BC. He died when he was 19 in mid-January, and his X-ray's show that he may have been murdered. Tut was found in 1922 by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon who was a rich archaeologist who owned the right to dig in the Valley of the Kings where King Tut was buried. Carter and Carnarvon were the first to arrive at his tomb, and they discovered it in almost perfect condition. The artifacts from King Tut's tomb have traveled the world and have been viewed by several million people. The artifacts are still on tour to this day.

There were many great pharaohs in Ancient in Egypt with colorful histories and backgorounds, but Amenhotep I, Hatshepsut, and Tutankhamen were some of the most famous. They are each famous for different reasons, but they all were great in their own way. One of the most interesting things about the pharaohs is that they started their reigns early and died young. Although they were prepared their entire lives to rule over Egypt, the pressure that they endured and the responsibilities they were given were far greater than their years.

Bunson, Margaret. "Amenhotep I." Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=EEGY0112&SingleRecord=True

Bunson, Margaret. "Hatshepsut." Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=EEGY0637&SingleRecord=True

The Middle Kingdom of Egypt

The Middle Kingdom of Egypt lasted from the beginning of the eleventh dynasty, to the end of the fourteenth dynasty. It lasted from about 2030 BC to about 1640 BC. A lot of success came from the Middle Kingdom. A very successful age was the twelfth dynasty.

In the twelfth dynasty of Egypt, a lot was established. A great king with great authority was Amenemhat. Historians don't know how he took the throne, but somehow he won it over. A lot of people plotted against him, especially the nobles. His great capital was Thebes.

The thirteenth dynasty began the second intermediate period of Egypt. The Thirteenth Dynasty was from approximately 1782-1700 BC. The 13th Dynasty starts with the death of Nefrusobek, the last member of the royal family of the 12th Dynasty.


Also in the twelfth dynasty, there was a lot of tomb building. In this dynasty, non-royal tombs were built. Large burials were built for non-royal families early in the twelfth dynasty of Egypt.

The twelfth dynasty had a lot of good pharaohs such as Sesostris II and Amenemhet II and III. Amenemhet was the son of Senustret and a chief wife of his named Sneferu. Amenemhet ruled third in the twelfth dynasty of Egypt. His name means Amen is the head.

David, Rosalie. "Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt." Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=HEGU0063&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 30, 2007).

Page, Willie F., and R. Hunt Davis, eds. "Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt." Encyclopedia of African History and Culture: Ancient Africa (Prehistory to 500 CE), vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=AHCI0383&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 30, 2007).

The Old Kingdom of Egypt

The Old Kingdom of Egypt lasted from 2575 BC to 2134 BC. The Old Kingdom was also known as the age of the pyramids. The Ancient Egyptian writing system called hieroglyphics was invented in this period. Hieroglyphics were used to write the texts inside the pyramids. The Hieroglyphcis were used for almost 3,500 years. Hieroglyphics were very hard to learn, so mostly only important people such as: Government officials, royalty, priests, scribes, etc. knew how to use them. These hieroglyphics died out by the 1st century. During the 7th century, they had simpler versions of the hieroglyphics.

During the Old Kingdom of Egypt, Artists and Craftsmen were drawn to work for the king. The techniques of the working with metal, stone, and wood were very beneficial to the Egyptians during the Old Kingdom. These skills were greatly used during the pyramids of the rulers of the fourth dynasty, and the sun templates of the fifth dynasty. We know this by the fact that these artifacts were very well preserved over the years.

The First king to rule in The Old Kingdom of Egypt was King Djoser. He ruled in the third dynasty and was the first to rule in that dynasty.He is important because he was the one who ordered the building of the famous pyramids built during the Old kingdom of Egypt. Imhotep was a very important person during the time of King Djoser's reign. Imhotep served as the king's royal vizier.

During the Old Kingdom of Egypt, the Egyptians increased their skills in building pyramids, by creating flat smooth pyramids, rather than stepped. The stepped pyramid was a representation of a stairway to the gods. The smooth pyramid symbolized a mound from which all life came from.

During the Old Kingdom of Egypt, there was a pharaoh known as King Tut. King Tut's real name was Tutankhamen meaning, "living image of the Aten." Tutankhamen's reign was not extraordinary, but we know so much about it because when Howard Carter found his tomb, it looked like it hadn't been touched. The tomb was air tight for all these years. King Tut started his reign when he was nine years old, and died when he was nineteen. King Tut probably ruled from about 1334 to 1325 BC.


Dr. George Hart. Ancient Egypt. Fog City Press. San Francisco, California. 2003.

Downes, Dorothy. "art, ancient Egyptian." In Gowing, Sir Lawrence, gen. ed. Facts on File Encyclopedia of Art, vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005.

King Khufu

The legendary king of Egypt, Khufu, was the son of king Sneferu and Queen Hetepheres. Sneferu was the founder of the fourth dynasty of Egypt. His reign lasted about 23 years from 2589 to 2566 B.C. He ruled in the Old Kingdom of Egypt. Khufu in Greek is Cheops, and is pronounced Keyops. He is known for being the founder for the Great Pyramids at Giza.

King Khufu was known as the Father of the Great Pyramids of Egypt. These pyramids are one of the greatest things man has ever seen. These Pyramids are one of the seven wonders of the world. The Great Pyramids at Giza are the burial chambers for the pharaohs. Before the great pyramids, the pharaohs were buried in small bench-shaped mounds.


Khufu, who ruled 2nd in the fourth dynasty, or family of rulers, acomplished a lot of things as the pharaoh of Egypt. We don't really know for sure how King Khufu created the great pyramids. There were no cranes, so it isn't known for sure how it was done. A suggestion for the way of creating the pyramids was that there were hundreds of guys working, who camped out close by, and for years lifted the blocks of stone for a small salary, until they were completed. King Khufu's tomb was robbed and the body was stolen, so not a lot can be said about him.

In building the Great Pyramids at Giza, King Cheops used workers that probably wouldn't be in any other use during the flooding of the Nile. King Khufu was an expert in Math, Astronomy, Science, and Art. All of these skills are reflected in the Great Pyramids at Giza.

King Khufu had many kids. The kids were Djedefhor, Khumbaef, Merysankh, Minkhaf, Neferma'at, Khamerernebti, Djedef'Aha, and others. His family was divided into two groups. In order to create the Great Pyramids, his daughter had to sell herself to get the necessary money to pay off the workers. It is also said that King Khufu fiddled with magic.

Bunson, Margaret. "Ra'djedef." Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=EEGY1546&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 15, 2007).


Page, Willie F., and R. Hunt Davis, eds. "Cheops." Encyclopedia of African History and Culture: Ancient Africa (Prehistory to 500 CE), vol. 1. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2005. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?
ItemID=WE49&iPin=AHCI0317&SingleRecord=True (accessed September 15, 2007).

The Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi
The Code of Hammurabi was a collection of laws used by the Babylonians. They were carved on a diorite slab written with 3,600 lines of cuneiform. The Code of Hammurabi used the system, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. (Richardson)
The Code of Hammurabi mentions a variety of different crimes one can commit. The code had 282 laws on it, but the crimes of a lower member of class committed to an upper class member were much more severe than that of a crime committed to a member of the same class.
The Code of Hammurabi was, as you would guess, written by Hammurabi. Hammurabi lived from 1792 B.C.-1750 B.C. and was the six king of Babylon. During his period of reign, Hammurabi experienced many victories in battle, but he did not do very well when it came to making states. During his reign, there very few models for city-states. Hammurabi’s main goal while emperor was to ensure Babylonia’s control over the Euphrates river.
During the Beginning years of of Hammurabi reign, he spent them consolidating his rule strengthening his position. He formed an Alliance with Larsa which was a neighboring country to Babylonia. Then, later in his thirtieth year of reign, he broke away from Rim-Sin, the king of Larsa, and he became the master of the south.

The Code of Hammurabi had to be carved in stone. It was carved on the surface of a tall black diorite. The diorite was about seven and a half feet tall. The huge stone weighed about four tons. At the top of the stone is a relief that is about two feet high. It has pictures of the Babylonian god Shamash. Left to him is Hammurabi who is portrayed to look as if he is receiving enlightenment from his god. Diorite is one the most durable, long-lasting stones there are but it is also hard to making engravings on it. When engraving there are no mistakes allowed, so if you make a mistake, you have to start all over again. (Amiet)
The stela on the diorite was used as a form of dedication. It was also often used a gravestone marking for many graves. The < a href="http://concise.britannica.com/ebc/article-9069561/stelae">stela<\a> origin is unknown, but it is a stone slab that could be decorated or not.
As you can see, justice was a very difficult process. Writing alone could take days with no mess-ups. That is a little bit about the code of Hammurabi.

Amiet, P. Art of the Ancient Near East. Abrams, New York. 1977.
Richardson, M.E.J. Hammurabi's Laws: Text, Translation and Glossary. Salem, Wisconsin. Sheffield Academic Press. 2000.