From: Carlson, Pam (carlsonp@wdni.com)
Date: Thu 12 Dec 1996 - 00:47:00 EET
David Dunham queries:
>I know various Gloranthan legal systems have been discussed privately, but
Well, as background for my Dara Happan campaign, I did a bit of digging
more
can enlighten me.
around on "Assyria Online", among other places, and came across a copy
of the Law Codes of Hammurabi. As charmingly detailed, inflexible, and
brutal as they were, I figured that just had to be Dara Happan. They
cover everything from the famous compensation for loss of eyes and limbs
to compensation for the death of borrowed livestock, the rights of
returning prisoners of war, the obligations of contract mercenaries, and
even penalties imposed on physicians who make mistakes! (Hint to
medical students - practice on slaves, it's cheaper!)
Interestingly, in cases where the outcome was unclear - that is, one
person's word against another - the usual trial method was to pitch one
or both claimants off a bridge spanning the Euphrates. Whoever made it
to shore obviously had the divine favor of the river goddess!
(This also discouraged spurious lawsuits.)
The laws do give a facinating look at what life must have been like in
ancient Mesopotamia.
BTW NIck - excellent review of the Gloranthan/RQ history and available
materials!
Pam
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