A Brief History Of The Origins Of Slavery: Chapter 1
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the ancient origins of slavery, tracing it back to early civilizations like Mesopotamia. It examines the first recorded legal codes addressing slavery, including the Code of Ur-Nammu, Code of Eshnunna, Code of Lipit-Ishtar, Code of Hammurabi, and the Code of Nesilim. Each code provides insights into the societal structure and treatment of slaves, with evolving laws reflecting changing attitudes towards enslaved individuals over time. The video promises a continuation in part two, exploring the timeline of slavery from antiquity to modern times.
Takeaways
- 📜 The history of slavery is deeply rooted in human civilization, with evidence of its existence in almost every culture and ethnicity.
- 🌐 Ancient Mesopotamia provides some of the first known legal records of slavery, indicating that the practice is older than the written proof available today.
- 🏛️ The Code of Ur-Nammu, dating back to circa 2112-2095 BC, is one of the oldest comprehensive legal codes that mention slavery, with 32 of its 57 laws having survived.
- 👫 Slaves in ancient Mesopotamia were categorized as 'rudd' (male) or 'gemi' (female) and had certain rights and freedoms, such as the ability to marry and potentially be freed.
- 💰 The Code of Eshnunna introduced the concept of valuing slaves in terms of currency, with different penalties for the death of a slave compared to a free person.
- 🔗 The Code of Lipit-Ishtar and the Code of Eshnunna are similar and likely influenced each other, both addressing issues like slave theft, manumission, and marriage.
- 👮♂️ The Code of Hammurabi, one of the most extensive ancient codes with over 300 laws, introduced the principle of 'an eye for an eye' and detailed punishments for various crimes involving slaves.
- 🤕 The Code of Hammurabi also provided harsher punishments for slaves who committed crimes or were troublesome, including execution and mutilation.
- 📜 The Code of Nesilim, dating back to 1650-1500 BC, showed a shift towards more humane treatment of slaves, with provisions for their protection and the ability to own property and buy freedom.
- 🔄 The ancient legal codes provide a historical timeline of slavery, offering insights into the evolving attitudes and laws regarding enslaved individuals over time.
Q & A
What is the significance of the history of slavery in relation to human civilization?
-The history of slavery is significant because it is as long as the history of humanity itself and spans almost every single culture and ethnicity, indicating that the practice of subjugating others has been a part of human societies since the beginning of civilization.
What are the first known records of slavery in law?
-The first known records of slavery in law come from ancient Mesopotamian civilizations, with the main five legal codes being the Code of Urnammu, the Code of Eshnunna, the Code of Lipit Ishtar, the Code of Hammurabi, and the Code of Nesilim.
What can be inferred about the civilization of Ur from the surviving laws of the Code of Urnammu?
-From the surviving laws of the Code of Urnammu, it can be inferred that the civilization of Ur divided people into two categories: the 'Lu' or free person and the slave, known as a 'Rudd' if male and 'Gemi' if female. Slaves had some rights and freedoms, although the extent of these is unknown.
How did the Code of Eshnunna and the Code of Lipit Ishtar contribute to our understanding of slavery in ancient Mesopotamia?
-The Code of Eshnunna and the Code of Lipit Ishtar contributed to our understanding of slavery by providing information on the social hierarchy and the price of slaves. They also addressed instances of stealing slaves, freeing them, and marrying them, with children of slaves not having the same rights as free-born children.
What societal distinctions are present in the Code of Hammurabi?
-The Code of Hammurabi distinguishes three societal classes: free men, slaves, and a third category, the land-owning wealthy class.
What is unique about the Code of Hammurabi's approach to punishment?
-The Code of Hammurabi is unique in its approach to punishment by following the principle of 'an eye for an eye,' meaning that any crime committed should be met with an equal measure of punishment.
How does the Code of Nesilim differ from earlier codes in its treatment of slaves?
-The Code of Nesilim differs from earlier codes by showing a slight shift in perception towards slaves. It includes provisions and punishments for harm done to slaves by others and covers humane treatment, allowing slaves to choose who to marry, buy property, open businesses, and purchase their freedom.
What does the Code of Nesilim suggest about the legal status of slaves in comparison to free individuals?
-The Code of Nesilim suggests that while slaves were still considered lesser than free individuals, they had more legal protections. It indicates that slaves could be harmed by others and that the perpetrators would be held responsible, showing a level of legal recognition and rights for slaves.
How do the punishments for crimes against slaves in the Code of Nesilim compare to those in earlier codes?
-The punishments for crimes against slaves in the Code of Nesilim are less severe compared to earlier codes. It shows a move towards more humane treatment, with provisions for fines rather than harsher punishments like mutilation or execution.
What is the significance of the legal codes from ancient Mesopotamia in understanding the evolution of slavery?
-The legal codes from ancient Mesopotamia are significant as they provide the earliest written records of slavery and societal attitudes towards enslaved people. They offer a glimpse into the evolution of slavery and the changing perceptions and treatments of slaves over time.
Outlines
📜 Early Legal Records of Slavery
This paragraph delves into the historical roots of slavery, highlighting its pervasive presence across various civilizations. It introduces the first known legal records of slavery from ancient Mesopotamia, emphasizing the Code of Ur-Nammu, which is the oldest comprehensive surviving legal code. The paragraph discusses the societal structure of Ur, distinguishing between free individuals and slaves, and outlines some of the laws pertaining to slavery, such as marriage rights for slaves and the consequences of a slave marrying a free person. It also touches upon the treatment of slaves, their potential for freedom, and the legal implications of crimes involving slaves.
📜 Evolution of Slave Laws in Ancient Mesopotamia
This paragraph continues the exploration of ancient legal codes related to slavery, focusing on the Codes of Eshnunna and Lipit-Ishtar. It discusses the similarities between these codes and their implications for the social hierarchy and the treatment of slaves. The paragraph also mentions the economic aspect of slavery, such as the value of slaves in terms of shekels, and the legal consequences of crimes involving slaves. The Code of Hammurabi is introduced as the most extensive and well-known of these ancient codes, detailing its principles of proportional punishment and its impact on the treatment of slaves. The paragraph concludes with the Code of Nesilim, which shows a shift towards more humane treatment of slaves, including provisions for their protection and rights, and suggests its influence on later legal systems.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Slavery
💡Mesopotamia
💡Code of Ur-Nammu
💡Social Hierarchy
💡Code of Hammurabi
💡Property
💡Legal Codes
💡Punishments
💡Ancient Civilizations
💡Humane Treatment
💡Freedom
Highlights
Slavery has a history as long as human civilization itself.
The first known records of slavery in law come from ancient Mesopotamia.
The Code of Urnammu is the oldest comprehensive surviving legal code mentioning slavery.
Slaves in ancient Mesopotamia had some rights and freedoms, although limited.
The Code of Eshnunna and the Code of Lipit Ishtar provide insights into the price and treatment of slaves.
The Code of Hammurabi introduces a third societal class in addition to free men and slaves.
The principle of 'an eye for an eye' is evident in the Code of Hammurabi.
The Code of Hammurabi details punishments for slaves and those who interacted with them.
The Code of Nesilim shows a shift towards more humane treatment of slaves.
Slaves could marry, buy property, and purchase their freedom according to the Code of Nesilim.
Ancient legal codes provide a glimpse into the mentality of early civilizations towards slavery.
The Code of Urnammu suggests that slaves could be set free with certain conditions.
The Code of Eshnunna establishes a clear social hierarchy including slaves.
The Code of Lipit Ishtar includes laws on the punishment for crimes involving slaves.
The Code of Hammurabi reduces punishment and payment for instances referring to slaves.
The Code of Nesilim includes provisions for slaves to be treated if harmed by others.
The Code of Nesilim suggests less severe punishments for lawbreakers compared to earlier codes.
Transcripts
the history of slavery is as long as the
history of humanity and spans almost
every single culture and ethnicity as
long as humans have had civilization
we've had ways to subjugate each other
basically we all suck
[Music]
welcome to a day in history long before
the ancient greeks romans persians and
other civilizations were even older ones
with few surviving records like the
mesopotamians
this civilization gives us our first
known records of slavery in law although
even these glimpses of over 4 000 years
into the past suggest that slavery is
much older than the written proof we
have today fragments of other texts have
mentioned slaves in these civilizations
and earlier ones but the legal records
we'll be looking at in this video are
the ones from where we can distinguish
the most information
so what are the first recorded instances
of slavery
let's take a look and don't forget to
check out part 2 for a brief timeline of
slavery all the way from these ancient
records to modern day
in early civilizations there are legal
codes that include some of the first
written recorded instances of slavery
all of which are from different but
similar periods in ancient mesopotamia
the main five we'll be looking at are
the code of urnamu the code of eshnuna
the code of lipit ishtar the code of
hamurabi and the code of nesilim
each was inscribed on ancient tablets or
pieces of steel and contained multiple
mentions and legal proceedings to do
with slaves suggesting it was a key part
of the ancient civilization's workings
and existed long before the records we
have since uncovered suggest
the code of urunamu takes its name from
king urnamu of ur who ruled circa 2112
to 2095 bc although there is historical
debate whether he wrote the laws or if
it was in fact his son shulgi
this code is the oldest comprehensive
surviving legal codes we have although
we do have fragments of older ones like
the code of urakagina
initially two surviving fragments of the
code of urnamu were found at nipur now
known as iraq and then later in 1965
further tablets found at ur allowed
historians enough information to discern
32 of the 57 laws
of the 32 surviving laws we can take
from the tablets seven refer to
instances of slaves and slavery
these laws allow us an insight into the
ancient mesopotamian society from the
text it seems like the civilization of
ur split people into two categories the
loo or free person and the slave known
as a rudd if male and gemi if female
from the surviving laws we can discern
slaves had some rights and freedoms
although the extent of these is unknown
for example two of the entries refer to
slaves marrying in one case to another
slave and in another a free person
the first law translates as if a slave
marries a slave and that slave is set
free he does not leave the household and
the second if a slave marries a native
i.e free person he or she is to hand the
firstborn son over to his owner
this tells us a few things namely both
that slaves could marry and that they
could be set free with some caveats
the other laws refer to slaves who have
escaped female slaves who have been rude
to their mistresses and slaves given or
taken from free men as punishment for
their crimes
from this we can discern that the
treatment of slaves was very similar to
later but still ancient civilizations
such as the greeks and romans slaves
were property and could be traded and
treated as such
we'll look at the next two codes
together as various sources theorize
different dates of their creation for
example some say the laws of ishnuna
date to 1930 bc while others attribute
to the code much closer to lipid ishtar
approximately
1860 bc
therefore we can look at the two
together and compare their laws on
slavery
in the code of esch nuna we see a clear
divide between free people and slaves
this builds off the established social
hierarchy mentioned in the code of
urnamu with not just names for free men
and women and enslaved men and women but
also sons daughters and other
codifications whose meaning we are
unsure of
the code of eshnuna also gives our first
information on the price of slaves for
example it states that if a dog or ox
kills a free man the penalty to the
owner is 40 shekels however if they kill
a slave they only need to pay 15. lipid
ishtar also refers to three men giving
15 shekels as punishment to an unknown
crime or if they don't have 15 then one
of their slaves much like the punishment
in
eschnona these texts arguably are
extremely similar and likely were
created off the back of very similar
laws but both help give a wider picture
of slavery in ancient mesopotamian
society
in addition both texts refer to
instances of stealing slaves freeing
them and marrying them in both scenarios
the children of the slaves if
acknowledged by the master are not given
the same rights as free-born children
both codes also address what to do if a
slave runs away although we don't know
how common this is it shows that it was
frequent enough to be placed in law
this brings us to the best known and
most extensive of these ancient codes
the code of hamurabi
a lot of historical articles and videos
will jump straight in here when
discussing the origins of slavery and
ignore the earlier codes for ease and
simplicity
that's probably because we know far more
about the code of hamurabi in that it's
the longest of all these ancient codes
containing over 300 laws and has the
most amount of information preserved for
us to glean from today for one we see
three societal distinctions in the code
of hamurabi instead of just free men and
slaves like earlier texts there is a
third additional category the land
owning wealthy class
for another the code of hamurabi lives
by the principle an eye for an eye and
fun fact hamurabi himself is where the
phrase originates
this means that any crime that is
committed the punishment should be of
equal measure
for example if a man destroys the eye of
a gentleman's slave then they should pay
half the slaves fee as they are now
worth half as much
they also reduce both punishment and
payment for instances referring to
slaves
a doctor's fee could be ten shekels to a
gentleman five to a freeman but only two
for a slave
the code of hamurabi is quite extensive
and also covers areas such as if a slave
were to run away harboring fugitive
slaves freeing slaves and the punishment
of troublesome slaves usually resulting
in harsher punishments than the
preceding codes of law suggest were in
effect centuries earlier this can
include anything from execution to the
mutilation or removal of limbs and other
body parts
and finally
also known as the hittite laws the code
of nisilim is the last of the most
ancient tablets we'll look at in this
video
several tablets found have established
the code contained at least 200 laws
dating back to 1650 to 1500 bc
later existing copies suggest that this
code or parts of it at least were in
effect all the way up to the end of the
hittite empire in 1100 bc
they also didn't seem to change much and
some historians argue that a lot of the
laws laid down in the hebrew bible a few
hundred years later were initially from
the code of nesilim
unlike earlier codes the code of nisilim
shows a slight shift in how people of
the time perceived slaves although still
considered lesser than free men and
women the code actually had provisions
and punishments for if a slave was
harmed by someone else
for example one law states if anyone
blind a male or female slave or knocks
out their teeth he shall give ten half
shekels of silver he shall let it go to
his home
this suggests that not only were people
punished for cruel treatment towards
slaves but that if they crippled them
they were then held responsible for
looking after them thereafter
the code covers humane treatment of
slaves and there are laws that show they
could choose who to marry buy property
open businesses and purchase their
freedom it even covers a divorce type
aspect to relationships and provisions
for slaves marrying free men and each
other
compared to the earlier codes the code
of nicillium was almost kind with far
less severe punishments for those who
broke the law
so that ends our video on the five most
ancient legal codes we have fragments of
today they give us a glimpse into the
first ever slaves and the earliest
civilization's mentality towards
enslaved people
don't forget to subscribe and tune in to
part two where we'll look at a brief
timeline of history all the way from
these ancient tablets to modern day
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