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History, Hammurabi of Babylon, the Master of Mesopotamia

Hammurabi of Babylon, the Master of Mesopotamia

In the last episode, we left off with the passing of Sin Mubalit and the dangerous neighborhood

that the relatively young kingdom of Babylon was now a part of.

It was surrounded by enemies, or at least potential enemies, on all sides.

Rim Sin of Larsa had gobbled up Babylon's two main allies, Uruk and Issin, and no doubt

now had eyes on Babylonian territory.

To its north, the kingdoms of Upper Mesopotamia and Eshnunna were looking to expand.

It was into this dangerous world that Hammurabi became king in 1792 BCE.

With so many rivals, the question was not whether Babylon under Hammurabi would thrive,

but would it even survive?

Let's find out.

Hammurabi is a name that most of us have likely heard of.

He's most well known as a lawgiver, and for the code of laws that have been attributed

to him.

However, this was written towards the end of his 42 year reign.

More than just a lawgiver, he was a shrewd king, administrator, diplomat, tactician,

and builder.

Ruling between the years 1792-1750 BCE, the contributions that Hammurabi made in reshaping

the ancient Near East cannot be overstated.

I really believe that he's one of the most fascinating people in the history of the world.

In this program, I want to expose you a bit to the political life of Hammurabi and how

he became the most powerful man of his day.

Let's start at the very beginning of his life.

Already we're at a bit of a loss because we don't know exactly when Hammurabi was

born.

His mother's name is unknown, but his father was Sin Mubalit, the king of the moderately

sized kingdom of Babylon.

We call the dynasty that he was part of the First Dynasty of Babylon, which was founded

by an Amorite chieftain named Sumuabim.

Though we don't know his birth date, we do know through the painstaking work of archaeologists

and historians who have translated and cross-referenced thousands of ancient cuneiform documents,

that he became king of Babylon in the year 1792 BCE.

Because his reign was so long, he must have been relatively young at the time of his ascension

to the throne, but whether he was in his teens, twenties, or even his early thirties is unknown.

Regardless, Hammurabi's first year as king was an interesting, if not dangerous time

for Babylon.

As mentioned earlier, it was surrounded by several kingdoms, three of whom posed the

greatest threat.

In the south was Babylon's oldest rival, the kingdom of Larsa, who Hammurabi's father,

Sin Mubalit, had fought on at least two occasions.

While Larsa was definitely the older and, you could say, more seasoned enemy, at the

time, Eshnunna actually posed the greater threat.

Located in the Diyala river valley, Eshnunna was expanding rapidly to the west and the

south.

This was most apparent during the reigns of two of its more ambitious kings, Epek Adad

II and Naram-Sin.

The Naram-Sin we're talking about here was a king of Eshnunna and a different person

than the famous Akkadian king of the same name.

The other great king of the north was Shamsi Adad.

In the years prior to Hammurabi's coronation, his kingdom had grown leaps and bounds to

include not just the cities of Ekalatum and Ashur, but the wealthy and strategically located

city of Mari as well.

Though his kingdom was much more powerful than Babylon, Shamsi Adad had an intense hatred

of Naram-Sin of Eshnunna.

This is because shortly after he ascended the throne of his relatively small kingdom

in 1833 BCE, he was forced to abandon it and flee as Naram-Sin's forces invaded.

During this time, he sought refuge in Babylon for a few years, after which he left, gathered

a sizable force of his own, and seized a city called Ekalatum, somewhere on the Tigris river.

The precise location of Ekalatum has never been found, but we know that it was not far

from another city, Ashur, which was the holy city of the people we later call the Assyrians.

At the time though, Ashur was just a small kingdom, perhaps more like a city-state.

After residing in Ekalatum for three years, Shamsi Adad captured Ashur in 1808 BCE and

temporarily made it the capital of his expanding kingdom.

Though an Amorite, the Assyrians claimed him as one of their own, and he is often remembered

as the first great king of Assyria.

In the end, Shamsi Adad left Ashur and went around conquering other parts of the region,

including areas to the west such as the great and wealthy city of Mari in 1792 BCE, which

was actually the same year that Hammurabi became the king of Babylon.

As mentioned earlier, Hammurabi ascended the throne of Babylon in 1792 BCE.

The first five years of his reign were rather uneventful.

From various archives that have been uncovered, it seems that much of his time was spent on

financial matters and in rebuilding temples and canals.

In 1787 BCE, he launched his first known military campaign against Larsa and captured Isin and

Uruk, two cities that had at one time been his father's allies against Rim-Sin.

However, archived documents discovered in both cities indicate that it was not a permanent

victory because just a few years later, Rim-Sin is cited again as being the ruler of both.

The same was true for another city, Malgium, which was a small independent kingdom on Babylon's

border with Larsa on the Tigris river.

Hammurabi claimed victory in a battle here as well, but like Uruk and Isin, eventually

the city reverted back to Rim-Sin.

So if Hammurabi had ambitions of holding a great empire, things were not going so well

for him.

In the summer of 1775 BCE, Shamsi-Adad passed away and soon after this, so did his empire.

Many of the kingdoms that he'd conquered declared their independence, including Mari.

Its new king, Zimri-Lim, claimed to be one of the sons of Mari's last king, Yedun-Lim.

Zimri-Lim had regained the throne of Mari with the help of the king of Yamhad, a man

named Yarim-Lim.

Now of all of the kings from that time period, Yarim-Lim was undoubtedly the most powerful.

One letter found in the archives of Mari, an address to Zimri-Lim, states, and I quote,

No king is really powerful on his own.

10-15 kings follow Hammurabi, the man of Babylon, Rim-Sin, the man of Larsa, Ibal-Piel, the

man of Eshnunna, and Amut-Piel, the man of Katna.

However, 20 kings follow Yarim-Lim, the man of Yamhad.

The letter was written by a government official in Mari, perhaps warning Zimri-Lim to maintain

his friendly relations with Yarim-Lim, who from other letters seems to have been his

benefactor.

Yarim-Lim also happened to be Zimri-Lim's father-in-law, since the latter was married

to his daughter.

Yarim-Lim would prove to be an invaluable ally for Zimri-Lim, especially against kingdoms

to the east of Mari, such as Eshnunna.

With Shamsi-Adad gone,


Hammurabi of Babylon, the Master of Mesopotamia Hammurabi de Babilonia, el Maestro de Mesopotamia Hammurabi da Babilónia, o mestre da Mesopotâmia Babilli Hammurabi, Mezopotamya'nın Efendisi

In the last episode, we left off with the passing of Sin Mubalit and the dangerous neighborhood No último episódio, ficámos a conhecer o falecimento de Sin Mubalit e o perigoso bairro

that the relatively young kingdom of Babylon was now a part of. de que o relativamente jovem reino da Babilónia fazia agora parte.

It was surrounded by enemies, or at least potential enemies, on all sides. Estava rodeada de inimigos, ou pelo menos de potenciais inimigos, por todos os lados.

Rim Sin of Larsa had gobbled up Babylon's two main allies, Uruk and Issin, and no doubt Rim Sin de Larsa tinha engolido os dois principais aliados da Babilónia, Uruk e Issin, e sem dúvida

now had eyes on Babylonian territory. tinha agora os olhos postos no território da Babilónia.

To its north, the kingdoms of Upper Mesopotamia and Eshnunna were looking to expand. A norte, os reinos da Alta Mesopotâmia e de Eshnunna procuravam expandir-se.

It was into this dangerous world that Hammurabi became king in 1792 BCE. Foi neste mundo perigoso que Hammurabi se tornou rei em 1792 a.C.

With so many rivals, the question was not whether Babylon under Hammurabi would thrive, Com tantos rivais, a questão não era se a Babilónia sob Hamurabi iria prosperar,

but would it even survive? mas será que sobreviveria?

Let's find out. Vamos descobrir.

Hammurabi is a name that most of us have likely heard of. Hammurabi é um nome que a maioria de nós já ouviu falar.

He's most well known as a lawgiver, and for the code of laws that have been attributed É mais conhecido como legislador e pelo código de leis que lhe foi atribuído

to him. para ele.

However, this was written towards the end of his 42 year reign. No entanto, este texto foi escrito no final do seu reinado de 42 anos.

More than just a lawgiver, he was a shrewd king, administrator, diplomat, tactician, Mais do que um legislador, foi um rei astuto, um administrador, um diplomata, um tático,

and builder. e construtor.

Ruling between the years 1792-1750 BCE, the contributions that Hammurabi made in reshaping Governando entre os anos 1792-1750 a.C., as contribuições de Hamurabi para a reformulação da

the ancient Near East cannot be overstated. o antigo Próximo Oriente não pode ser exagerado.

I really believe that he's one of the most fascinating people in the history of the world. Acredito mesmo que ele é uma das pessoas mais fascinantes da história do mundo.

In this program, I want to expose you a bit to the political life of Hammurabi and how Neste programa, quero dar-vos a conhecer um pouco da vida política de Hamurabi e como

he became the most powerful man of his day. tornou-se o homem mais poderoso do seu tempo.

Let's start at the very beginning of his life. Comecemos pelo início da sua vida.

Already we're at a bit of a loss because we don't know exactly when Hammurabi was Já estamos um pouco perdidos porque não sabemos exatamente quando é que Hammurabi foi

born. nascido.

His mother's name is unknown, but his father was Sin Mubalit, the king of the moderately O nome da sua mãe é desconhecido, mas o seu pai era Sin Mubalit, o rei dos moderados

sized kingdom of Babylon. O reino da Babilónia foi dimensionado.

We call the dynasty that he was part of the First Dynasty of Babylon, which was founded Chamamos à dinastia de que fazia parte a Primeira Dinastia da Babilónia, que foi fundada

by an Amorite chieftain named Sumuabim. por um chefe amorita chamado Sumuabim.

Though we don't know his birth date, we do know through the painstaking work of archaeologists Embora não saibamos a data do seu nascimento, sabemos, através do trabalho minucioso dos arqueólogos

and historians who have translated and cross-referenced thousands of ancient cuneiform documents, e historiadores que traduziram e cruzaram referências de milhares de documentos cuneiformes antigos,

that he became king of Babylon in the year 1792 BCE. que se tornou rei da Babilónia no ano de 1792 a.C.

Because his reign was so long, he must have been relatively young at the time of his ascension Dado que o seu reinado foi tão longo, deve ter sido relativamente jovem na altura da sua ascensão

to the throne, but whether he was in his teens, twenties, or even his early thirties is unknown. ao trono, mas não se sabe se era adolescente, se tinha vinte anos ou mesmo trinta e poucos.

Regardless, Hammurabi's first year as king was an interesting, if not dangerous time Seja como for, o primeiro ano de Hammurabi como rei foi um período interessante, se não mesmo perigoso

for Babylon. para a Babilónia.

As mentioned earlier, it was surrounded by several kingdoms, three of whom posed the Como já foi referido, estava rodeada por vários reinos, três dos quais constituíam a

greatest threat. maior ameaça.

In the south was Babylon's oldest rival, the kingdom of Larsa, who Hammurabi's father, A sul, encontrava-se o mais antigo rival da Babilónia, o reino de Larsa, que era o pai de Hamurabi,

Sin Mubalit, had fought on at least two occasions. Sin Mubalit, tinha lutado em pelo menos duas ocasiões.

While Larsa was definitely the older and, you could say, more seasoned enemy, at the Enquanto Larsa era definitivamente o inimigo mais velho e, pode-se dizer, mais experiente, no

time, Eshnunna actually posed the greater threat. tempo, Eshnunna representava de facto a maior ameaça.

Located in the Diyala river valley, Eshnunna was expanding rapidly to the west and the Situada no vale do rio Diyala, Eshnunna estava a expandir-se rapidamente para oeste e para o

south. sul.

This was most apparent during the reigns of two of its more ambitious kings, Epek Adad Este facto foi mais evidente durante os reinados de dois dos seus reis mais ambiciosos, Epek Adad

II and Naram-Sin. II e Naram-Sin.

The Naram-Sin we're talking about here was a king of Eshnunna and a different person O Naram-Sin de que estamos a falar era um rei de Eshnunna e uma pessoa diferente

than the famous Akkadian king of the same name. do que o famoso rei acadiano com o mesmo nome.

The other great king of the north was Shamsi Adad. O outro grande rei do Norte foi Shamsi Adad.

In the years prior to Hammurabi's coronation, his kingdom had grown leaps and bounds to Nos anos que antecederam a coroação de Hamurabi, o seu reino tinha crescido a passos largos para

include not just the cities of Ekalatum and Ashur, but the wealthy and strategically located incluem não só as cidades de Ekalatum e Ashur, mas também as cidades ricas e estrategicamente localizadas

city of Mari as well. cidade de Mari também.

Though his kingdom was much more powerful than Babylon, Shamsi Adad had an intense hatred Embora o seu reino fosse muito mais poderoso do que a Babilónia, Shamsi Adad tinha um ódio intenso

of Naram-Sin of Eshnunna. de Naram-Sin de Eshnunna.

This is because shortly after he ascended the throne of his relatively small kingdom Isto porque, pouco depois de ter subido ao trono do seu reino relativamente pequeno

in 1833 BCE, he was forced to abandon it and flee as Naram-Sin's forces invaded. em 1833 a.C., foi forçado a abandoná-la e a fugir quando as forças de Naram-Sin a invadiram.

During this time, he sought refuge in Babylon for a few years, after which he left, gathered Durante este período, refugiou-se na Babilónia durante alguns anos, após o que partiu, reunindo

a sizable force of his own, and seized a city called Ekalatum, somewhere on the Tigris river. com uma força considerável e apoderou-se de uma cidade chamada Ekalatum, algures no rio Tigre.

The precise location of Ekalatum has never been found, but we know that it was not far A localização exacta de Ekalatum nunca foi encontrada, mas sabemos que não ficava longe

from another city, Ashur, which was the holy city of the people we later call the Assyrians. de outra cidade, Ashur, que era a cidade santa do povo a que mais tarde chamámos Assírios.

At the time though, Ashur was just a small kingdom, perhaps more like a city-state. Na altura, porém, Ashur era apenas um pequeno reino, talvez mais parecido com uma cidade-estado.

After residing in Ekalatum for three years, Shamsi Adad captured Ashur in 1808 BCE and Depois de residir em Ekalatum durante três anos, Shamsi Adad capturou Ashur em 1808 a.C. e

temporarily made it the capital of his expanding kingdom. temporariamente fez dela a capital do seu reino em expansão.

Though an Amorite, the Assyrians claimed him as one of their own, and he is often remembered Embora fosse um amorreu, os assírios reivindicaram-no como um dos seus, e ele é frequentemente recordado

as the first great king of Assyria. como o primeiro grande rei da Assíria.

In the end, Shamsi Adad left Ashur and went around conquering other parts of the region, No final, Shamsi Adad deixou Ashur e foi conquistando outras partes da região,

including areas to the west such as the great and wealthy city of Mari in 1792 BCE, which incluindo áreas a oeste, como a grande e rica cidade de Mari em 1792 a.C., que

was actually the same year that Hammurabi became the king of Babylon. foi, na verdade, o mesmo ano em que Hamurabi se tornou o rei da Babilónia.

As mentioned earlier, Hammurabi ascended the throne of Babylon in 1792 BCE. Como já foi referido, Hamurabi subiu ao trono da Babilónia em 1792 a.C..

The first five years of his reign were rather uneventful. Os primeiros cinco anos do seu reinado foram bastante calmos.

From various archives that have been uncovered, it seems that much of his time was spent on A partir de vários arquivos que foram descobertos, parece que grande parte do seu tempo foi gasto em

financial matters and in rebuilding temples and canals. questões financeiras e na reconstrução de templos e canais.

In 1787 BCE, he launched his first known military campaign against Larsa and captured Isin and Em 1787 a.C., lançou a sua primeira campanha militar conhecida contra Larsa e capturou Isin e

Uruk, two cities that had at one time been his father's allies against Rim-Sin. Uruk, duas cidades que em tempos tinham sido aliadas do seu pai contra Rim-Sin.

However, archived documents discovered in both cities indicate that it was not a permanent No entanto, os documentos de arquivo descobertos em ambas as cidades indicam que não se tratava de uma

victory because just a few years later, Rim-Sin is cited again as being the ruler of both. vitória porque, apenas alguns anos mais tarde, Rim-Sin é citado novamente como sendo o governante de ambos.

The same was true for another city, Malgium, which was a small independent kingdom on Babylon's O mesmo acontecia com outra cidade, Malgium, que era um pequeno reino independente na região da Babilónia

border with Larsa on the Tigris river. fronteira com Larsa no rio Tigre.

Hammurabi claimed victory in a battle here as well, but like Uruk and Isin, eventually Hammurabi também reivindicou a vitória numa batalha aqui, mas tal como Uruk e Isin, acabou por

the city reverted back to Rim-Sin. a cidade voltou a ser de Rim-Sin.

So if Hammurabi had ambitions of holding a great empire, things were not going so well Assim, se Hammurabi ambicionava ter um grande império, as coisas não estavam a correr muito bem

for him. para ele.

In the summer of 1775 BCE, Shamsi-Adad passed away and soon after this, so did his empire. No verão de 1775 a.C., Shamsi-Adad faleceu e, pouco depois, o seu império também.

Many of the kingdoms that he'd conquered declared their independence, including Mari. Muitos dos reinos que ele tinha conquistado declararam a sua independência, incluindo Mari.

Its new king, Zimri-Lim, claimed to be one of the sons of Mari's last king, Yedun-Lim. O seu novo rei, Zimri-Lim, afirmava ser um dos filhos do último rei de Mari, Yedun-Lim.

Zimri-Lim had regained the throne of Mari with the help of the king of Yamhad, a man Zimri-Lim tinha recuperado o trono de Mari com a ajuda do rei de Yamhad, um homem

named Yarim-Lim. chamado Yarim-Lim.

Now of all of the kings from that time period, Yarim-Lim was undoubtedly the most powerful. De todos os reis daquela época, Yarim-Lim era, sem dúvida, o mais poderoso.

One letter found in the archives of Mari, an address to Zimri-Lim, states, and I quote, Uma carta encontrada nos arquivos de Mari, dirigida a Zimri-Lim, diz, e passo a citar,

No king is really powerful on his own. Nenhum rei é realmente poderoso por si só.

10-15 kings follow Hammurabi, the man of Babylon, Rim-Sin, the man of Larsa, Ibal-Piel, the 10-15 reis seguem Hammurabi, o homem da Babilónia, Rim-Sin, o homem de Larsa, Ibal-Piel, o

man of Eshnunna, and Amut-Piel, the man of Katna. homem de Eshnunna, e Amut-Piel, homem de Katna.

However, 20 kings follow Yarim-Lim, the man of Yamhad. No entanto, 20 reis seguem Yarim-Lim, o homem de Yamhad.

The letter was written by a government official in Mari, perhaps warning Zimri-Lim to maintain A carta foi escrita por um funcionário do governo de Mari, talvez avisando Zimri-Lim para manter

his friendly relations with Yarim-Lim, who from other letters seems to have been his as suas relações de amizade com Yarim-Lim, que, segundo outras cartas, parece ter sido o seu

benefactor. benfeitor.

Yarim-Lim also happened to be Zimri-Lim's father-in-law, since the latter was married Yarim-Lim também era sogro de Zimri-Lim, uma vez que este último era casado

to his daughter. para a sua filha.

Yarim-Lim would prove to be an invaluable ally for Zimri-Lim, especially against kingdoms Yarim-Lim revelar-se-ia um aliado inestimável para Zimri-Lim, especialmente contra os reinos

to the east of Mari, such as Eshnunna. a leste de Mari, como Eshnunna.

With Shamsi-Adad gone, Sem o Shamsi-Adad,