Hammurabi’s Code

Hammurabi’s Code listed 282 laws dealing with a variety of subjects. A few examples of these laws are listed below.
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.
197. If he breaks another man’s bone, his bone shall be broken.
198. If he put out the eye of a freed man, or break the bone of a freed man, he shall pay one [silver] mina.
199. If he put out the eye of a man’s slave, or break the bones of a man’s slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.
200. If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out.
201. If he knock out the teeth of a freed man, he shall pay one-third of a [silver] mina.
202. If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public.

Based on this passage from Hammurabi’s Code, in Babylonian society.

all people were treated equally.

no one owned slaves.

punishment was based on social status.

women had the same rights as men.

And your answer is?

punishment was based on social status

Right!

Based on the passage from Hammurabi's Code, it can be inferred that punishment was based on social status in Babylonian society. The laws clearly mention different penalties for the same offenses depending on the social status of the victim. For example, if someone put out the eye of another man, their own eye would be put out in return. However, if the victim was a freed man or a slave, the perpetrator would have to pay a monetary fine instead. Similarly, different penalties were prescribed for breaking bones or knocking out teeth based on the social standing of the victim.

This suggests that the severity of punishment was determined by the social hierarchy and the value attached to individuals based on their social status in Babylonian society. Therefore, it can be concluded that punishment in Hammurabi's Code was not equal for all people but varied according to their social positions.