Code of Hammurabi

From dKosopedia

Hammurabi, the legendary king of Babylonia, is widely thought to be the first to publish the entire body of laws for public review. The Hammurabi Code was carved onto a black monument, circa 1780 BCE, so that everyone would know their place in society, their rights and responsibilities.

Hammurabi's code includes familiar principles like:

"If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out." (eye for any eye)
"If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out." (tooth for a tooth)

The Ancient History Sourcebook's entry on the Code of Hammurabi includes an English translation by L. W. King.