Babylon
More than 1200 years elapsed between the glorious reign of Hammurabi and the subjugation of Babylonia by the Persians. During this long span of time the Babylonian social structure, economic organization, arts and crafts, science and literature, judicial system and religious beliefs underwent considerable modification, but generally this was just refining details; the essence of things remained the same. Grounded almost wholly on the culture of Sumer, Babylonian cultural achievements left a deep impression on the entire ancient world, and particularly on the Hebrews and the Greeks. Even present-day civilization is indebted culturally to Babylonian civilization to some extent. For instance, Babylonian influence is pervasive throughout the Bible and in the works of such Greek poets as Homer and Hesiod, in the geometry of the Greek mathematician Euclid, in astronomy, in astrology, and in heraldry.
Babylonian society was divided into three classes: awilu (upper class), musheknu (free, but of low means) and wardu (slaves). All groups were protected by law, and enjoyed a minimum of rights. All groups (including the slaves) could engage in business and borrow money. However, there were differences between all classes in all fields, and many of the differences were fixed by law. All evidence tells us that Babylonian society was fairly stable during its 1200 years of existence with little discernible change.
Most slaves were prisoners of war, but some were recruited from the Babylonian citizenry as well. For example, free persons might be reduced to slavery as punishment for certain offenses; parents could sell their children as slaves in time of need; or a man might turn over his entire family to creditors in payment of a debt, but the law limited that to no longer than three years. Slaves were the property of their master, like any other chattel. They could be branded and flogged, and they were severely punished if they attempted to escape. Slaves were not protected by any laws in their relationship to their owners, but it is believed that they were treated well, since a healthy slave would work harder and better. Slaves could buy their own freedom, or they could gain freedom from marrying a free person. The average price for an adult male slave was usually 20 shekels of silver, a sum that could buy some 35 bushels of barley at that tim. This would correspond to about $300-400 today.
The upper class, awilus, were officials, priests, wealthy landowners and the more affluent traders. This group owned much of Babylonia's land, the other great land-owning group being the temples. The other group of free people, the musheknus, were craftsmen, clerks and farmers. A difference between the free classes (awilus and mushkenus) was that the awilus could claim higher compensation for injuries inflicted upon them, but if one inflicted injuries upon others, a higher fine was then exacted.
Marriages were arranged by parents, and it was expected that the groom present a gift to the father of the bride. The marriage was concluded by a contract inscribed on a tablet. The woman had some rights in the marriage; she could have property and engage in business. But it was the man who enjoyed most rights in the marriage: he could easily divorce his wife, and marry a second if the first did not give him children.
GOVERNMENT
The people were governed by the king, who ruled as an absolute monarch. He was active in all fields of government: legislator, judge, administrator and warlord. He was directly in charge of governing a rigid system through appointed governors. Local administration around the country was performed by mayors and councils of elders.
The courts of Babylonia were the center of justice. Each court had between 1 and 4 judges, and appeals could only be made to the king. Punishment varied from capital punishment and mutilation to flogging, reduction to slavery, and banishment. Many of the rulings involved indemnities, in which the fine varied from 3 to 30 times the value of the object to be restored.
ECONOMY and CULTURE
The most important industry of Babylonia was agriculture, but other industries were fairly well developed too, such as cosmetics, perfumery, medicine and pharmacology. They were involved with foreign trade, and exported manufactured goods; while the country had to import metal, wood and stone — materials not available in Babylonia.
Babylonian cities resembled to some extent the modern village in the Middle East. Most houses were only one-story high, and built of mud bricks. They had no windows towards the street, and there were several rooms arranged around an inner courtyard. Inside the house, one of the rooms could be devoted to the gods.
Below the house was often located a mausoleum in which the family dead were buried. The Babylonians believed that the souls of the dead traveled to the nether world, and that, at least to some extent, life continued there as on earth. For this reason, pots, tools, weapons, and jewels were buried with the dead.
The public and monumental architecture of the Babylonians often involved the use of mud bricks as well, but in some respects their skills were more advanced. An example is their unique technique of making all straight lines slightly curved, so that hard lines would appear softer. Despite this, the eye does not discover the curve.
The inherited Sumerian irrigation and agriculture technology was most important to Babylonians. This was the mainstay of their economy. They continued to develop skills in map making and surveying. They used a fairly well developed mathematical system, which had 6 as the root number, not 10. They created detailed seasonal almanacs recording droughts and/or flooding. And they had an excellent calendar system already in place, another Sumerian invention.
The Babylonians modified and transformed their Sumerian heritage in accordance with their own culture and ethos. The resulting way of life proved to be so effective that it underwent relatively little change for some 1200 years. They exerted influence on their neighboring countries, especially the kingdom of Assyria, which adopted Babylonian culture almost entirely. Many written documents excavated from this period include one of the most important finds of civilization - a remarkable collection of laws often referred to as the Code of Hammurabi. Together with other documents and letters belonging to different periods, these discoveries provided a comprehensive picture of Babylonian social structure and economic organization.
The Code of Hammurabi
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon ~ New!
Credits:
Content Sources:
Ancient Babylonia, Babylon, Babylonia, A history of ancient Babylon
Map courtesy of Ancient Babylonia
Page background: Alal-Sin Malachus w/color modification by Xena.
Table background: Samarcande Bahktiari's Kilim Bazaar
New page design and content: Xena ApilSin, May 2008
