Hittite Laws

Questions for Further Study

• 1.: Numerous “milestone” documents from the ancient and medieval worlds have to do with the establishment of law codes. Why was the development of a legal code a primary concern of these empires and nations and their rulers? How did differing historical circumstances lead to fundamentally different law codes—and, conversely, how did similar historical circumstances lead to fundamentally similar law codes?
• 2.: What picture of ancient Hittite society emerges from the laws? What were the society's values and concerns? Was it a civil, just society? A violent, arbitrary society? Was it governed by reason, or by superstition? Explain your response.
• 3.: Documents such as this one illuminate the procedures and questions of archeologists, historians, and others who are interested in the ancient world. What does your reading of this document and its discussion teach you about how archeologists and others go about their work?
• 4.: Select one of the Hittite laws and compare and contrast it with what you might know about a corresponding law in modern society. Do any of the Hittite laws strike you as peculiarly “modern”? Explain.
• 5.: To what extent did social status affect the penalties imposed on wrongdoers in ancient Hittite society? Do you believe that social class continues to affect sentencing for crimes in modern America, despite laws intended to prevent such disparities?