Hammurabi was born around 1,810 BCE in Babylonia. The sixth king of the First Dynasty of Babylon, Hammurabi inherited a small kingdom in Mesopotamia and expanded it through diplomacy and war, defeating rival states such as Larsa and Eshnunna and Mari and making Babylon the leading power of the region. He is best known for the Code of Hammurabi, inscribed on a black stone pillar late in his reign, which lists around 280 laws and punishments covering trade, property, family and crime. The pillar, topped with a relief showing the king before the sun god Shamash, was found at Susa in 1901 and is now in the Louvre. He also oversaw canals and public works. After his death his empire declined within a few generations. The dates given for his birth and death are approximate.
Before and after
- c. 1,900 BCEConstruction of Karnak Temple Complex
- c. 1,900 BCEEruption of Black Peak
- c. 1,890 BCEEruption of Hudson, Cerro
- c. 1,860 BCEEruption of St. Helens
- c. 1,810 BCEBirth of Hammurabi
- from 19th century BCE to 17th century BCEThirteenth Dynasty of Egypt
- from c. 1,786 BCE to 1,600 BCEFourteenth Dynasty of Egypt
- from c. 1,782 BCE to 1,570 BCESecond Intermediate Period of Egypt
- c. 1,752 BCECode of Hammurabi
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- from June 68 CE to December 69 CEYear of the Four Emperors
- 293 CEDiocletian establishes the Tetrarchy
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 19th century BCE.