A Brief History Of The Origins Of Slavery: Chapter 1

Summary

This 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

00:00

📜 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.

05:00

📜 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.

Keywords

💡Slavery

Slavery refers to the condition of people who are considered property and deprived of personal freedom, often forced to perform labor or services. In the context of the video, it is a central theme, tracing the origins and evolution of slavery from ancient civilizations to modern times. The script discusses the first recorded instances of slavery in legal codes, indicating its deep historical roots.

💡Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia, often referred to as the 'Cradle of Civilization,' is the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where some of the earliest civilizations emerged. The video uses Mesopotamia as a focal point to explore the earliest legal records of slavery, highlighting how integral slavery was to the functioning of these ancient societies.

💡Code of Ur-Nammu

The Code of Ur-Nammu is one of the oldest surviving legal codes, dating back to circa 2112-2095 BC. It is significant in the video as it provides insights into the early legal distinctions between free persons and slaves, as well as some rights and freedoms that slaves might have had, such as the ability to marry and potentially be freed under certain conditions.

💡Social Hierarchy

Social hierarchy refers to the ranking of individuals or groups within a society based on various factors like wealth, power, or status. The video discusses how legal codes from ancient Mesopotamia, such as the Code of Eshnunna, established clear divisions between free people and slaves, reflecting the structured social order of these civilizations.

💡Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi is a well-known set of laws from ancient Babylon, dating back to around 1754 BC. It is highlighted in the video for its extensive coverage of laws related to slavery, including the principle of 'an eye for an eye,' which influenced the treatment and punishment of slaves. The code also introduced a third societal class, the land-owning wealthy class, further complicating the social structure.

💡Property

In the context of the video, slaves are considered property, which means they are owned by someone else and can be bought, sold, or traded. This concept is integral to understanding the economic and social dynamics of slavery in ancient civilizations, where slaves were treated as assets and used for labor and services.

💡Legal Codes

Legal codes are systematic collections of laws that govern a society. The video examines various ancient legal codes, such as those from Mesopotamia, to understand the legal frameworks that regulated slavery and the status of slaves within these societies. These codes provide a historical account of how slavery was institutionalized and managed.

💡Punishments

Punishments, as discussed in the video, refer to the penalties or consequences inflicted on individuals who break the law. In the context of ancient slavery, punishments could range from fines to physical mutilation or execution, especially for slaves who escaped or committed crimes. The severity of punishments varied across different legal codes and periods.

💡Ancient Civilizations

Ancient civilizations are the early complex societies that developed writing, urban development, and centralized governments. The video uses the example of ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome to explore the prevalence of slavery and how it was ingrained in their social and economic systems.

💡Humane Treatment

Humane treatment refers to the fair and compassionate handling of individuals, especially those in vulnerable positions. The video contrasts the treatment of slaves in different legal codes, noting a shift towards more humane treatment in later codes like the Code of Nesilim, which included provisions for slaves' welfare and rights, indicating a gradual change in societal attitudes towards slaves.

💡Freedom

Freedom, in the context of the video, pertains to the state of not being under the control or in the power of another. It is discussed in relation to slaves' ability to be set free, often with certain conditions or consequences. The video explores how legal codes addressed the manumission of slaves and the implications of such actions on their status and rights.

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