Read the excerpt from Hammurabi’s Code.

“If a man has knocked out the eye of a patrician [aristocrat], his eye shall be knocked out. . . If he has knocked out the eye of a plebeian [commoner] . . . he shall pay one mina of silver. If he has knocked out the eye of a patrician’s servant . . . he shall pay half his value.”

What does this quote illustrate about the nature of Hammurabi’s Code?

(1 point)
Responses

The law's punishments did not encourage social order.

The law's punishments did not encourage social order.

The law did not treat all members of society equally.

The law did not treat all members of society equally.

The law did not address any private matters.

The law did not address any private matters.

The law did not specify the crime.

The law did not treat all members of society equally.

The quote illustrates that the law did not treat all members of society equally.

The quote from Hammurabi's Code illustrates that the law did not treat all members of society equally. It indicates that different punishments were administered based on the social status of the individuals involved. If a person of higher social status had their eye knocked out, the offender's eye would be similarly punished. However, if the victim was a commoner or a servant of a patrician, the punishment was monetary compensation instead of inflicting the same injury upon the offender. This distinction in punishment based on social status shows that the law favored and protected the interests of the aristocracy, thereby illustrating the unequal treatment of different members of society under Hammurabi's Code.