Marc van de Mieroop

King Hammurabi of Babylon

A Biography

• Broschiertes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

This is the first biography in English of King Hammurabi, who ruled Babylon from 1792 to 1750 BC and presents a rounded view of his accomplishments. Describes how Hammurabi dealt with powerful rivals and extended his kingdom. Draws on the King's own writings and on diplomatic correspondence that has only recently become available. Explores the administration of the kingdom and the legacies of his rule, especially his legal code. Demonstrates how Hammurabi's conquests irrevocably changed the political organization of the Near East, so that he was long remembered as one of the great kings of the past. Written to be accessible to a general audience.

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This book presents the first biography written in English of the famous Babylonian lawgiver, King Hammurabi, who ruled from 1792 to 1750 BC. It presents a well-rounded view of this ancient Mesopotamian king's accomplishments, by drawing on the extensive writings of his time, including those by Hammurabi himself. Numerous letters and reports by ambassadors to his court and others are presented in translation. Marc Van De Mieroop traces Hammurabi's career as a diplomat and conqueror, describing how he dealt with powerful rivals and extended his kingdom to create the large state of Babylon. He explores the administration of the kingdom and looks at the legacies of Hammurabi's rule, especially his legal code, the earliest complete body of legal instructions in world history. The book demonstrates how Hammurabi's conquests irrevocably changed the political organization of the Middle East and shows that Hammurabi was long remembered by the ancient Mesopotamians as one of the greatest kings of the past.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Open Stax Textbooks
• Seitenzahl: 171
• Erscheinungstermin: 22. Oktober 2004
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 218mm x 137mm x 17mm
• Gewicht: 237g
• ISBN-13: 9781405126601
• ISBN-10: 1405126604
• Artikelnr.: 21760926

Autorenporträt

Marc Van De Mieroop is Professor of Ancient Near East History at Columbia University, New York. He has written numerous books and articles, including most recently A History of the Ancient Near East, c. 3000-323 BC (Blackwell Publishing, 2004).

Inhaltsangabe

List of Illustrations.

Preface.

Map.

Chronology.

Abbreviations.

1. The Early Years.

2. The Defeat of Elam.

3. The Annexation of Larsa.

4. The Overthrow of Eshnunna.

5. Supremacy in the North.

6. The Sack of Mari.

7. Governing the New State.

8. Hammurabi the Lawgiver.

9. Hammurabi's Character.

10.Hammurabi's Legacy.

11. On Writing's Hammurabi's Biography.

Glossary.

Notes.

Bibliography.

Guide to Further Reading.

Index.

Rezensionen

"Van De Mieroop evokes vividly Hammurabi's rise fromone King among many to Lord of a territory stretching from the Gulfinto Syria .... He succeeds in delineating Hammurabi'sremarkable achievements and providing glimpses of hispersonality." Amelie Kuhrt, University CollegeLondon

"In an age that featured aggressive militarism and shakythrones, Hammurabi of Babylon forged clever alliances and practicedpatient strategies. In these accessible and well-turned pages, MarcVan De Mieroop explains how Hammurabi created an empire throughmartial and administrative talents. But he also details another ofHammurabi's major achievements: sponsoring a law code that placeshim, along with Moses, as one of antiquity's greatest lawgivers. Irecommend this book to one and all." Jack M. Sasson, VanderbiltUniversity

"Marc Van De Mieroop brings to history a flair for astory....Mieroop has delivered a readable history of a timestrangely familiar as we watch modern Iraqis working towardshopefully, a similarly benign relationship." Insights

"This is an excellent book, also easily accessible for theuninitiated. It provides authoritative information on a ruler whowas a conqueror, the ancient lawgiver ... One can only lookforward to the future volumes in the series on the lives of greatmen and women of ancient times." Scholia Reviews

"Insofar as it is possible to write Hammurabi's story, Van DeMieroop has done so. Based as it is on a thorough knowledge of bothlong-known and recently published evidence, a solid acquaintancewith the most up-to-date scholarship, and a historian's awarenessof the varying reliability of the ancient sources, this book is anexcellent account of a fascinating ruler, and as near to biographyas one is going to get." Bulletin of the School of Oriental andAfrican Studies