King Hammurabi of Babylon
A Biography
Blackwell Ancient Lives
1. Auflage September 2004
184 Seiten, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
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.
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.
one King among many to Lord of a territory stretching from the Gulf
into Syria .... He succeeds in delineating Hammurabi's
remarkable achievements and providing glimpses of his
personality." Amelie Kuhrt, University College
London
"In an age that featured aggressive militarism and shaky
thrones, Hammurabi of Babylon forged clever alliances and practiced
patient strategies. In these accessible and well-turned pages, Marc
Van De Mieroop explains how Hammurabi created an empire through
martial and administrative talents. But he also details another of
Hammurabi's major achievements: sponsoring a law code that places
him, along with Moses, as one of antiquity's greatest lawgivers. I
recommend this book to one and all." Jack M. Sasson, Vanderbilt
University
"Marc Van De Mieroop brings to history a flair for a
story....Mieroop has delivered a readable history of a time
strangely familiar as we watch modern Iraqis working towards
hopefully, a similarly benign relationship." Insights
"This is an excellent book, also easily accessible for the
uninitiated. It provides authoritative information on a ruler who
was a conqueror, the ancient lawgiver ... One can only look
forward to the future volumes in the series on the lives of great
men and women of ancient times." Scholia Reviews
"Insofar as it is possible to write Hammurabi's story, Van De
Mieroop has done so. Based as it is on a thorough knowledge of both
long-known and recently published evidence, a solid acquaintance
with the most up-to-date scholarship, and a historian's awareness
of the varying reliability of the ancient sources, this book is an
excellent account of a fascinating ruler, and as near to biography
as one is going to get." Bulletin of the School of Oriental and
African Studies
