Course program
This course offers an in-depth introduction to the legal traditions of ancient Mesopotamia, from the 3rd to the 1st millennium BCE. Through the contextual analysis of primary sources (in translation), students will explore the normative, social, and institutional aspects of Mesopotamian legal culture.
The first part of the course will address the concepts of “law” and “justice” in the ancient Near East, with particular focus on the relationship between law and urban society, the role of temples and palaces in the production of legal norms, and the function of cuneiform writing as a tool of legal memory and legitimation.
The core of the course will consist in a close reading of primary sources: students will examine the earliest law collections (Ur-Namma, Lipit-Ištar, Hammurabi, etc.), contracts (e.g. adoption, marriage, loans), judicial records, and other archival documents, with the aim of understanding their structure, language, and practical function in the administrative and social context.
The third part of the course will explore cross-cutting themes such as the legal status of women, debt regulation, corporal punishments, and the concept of fairness. Comparative elements will also be introduced to encourage broader reflections on the continuities and discontinuities between Mesopotamian law and other ancient legal traditions.
The course will include guided readings, group discussions, and comparative analysis of sources, aimed at strengthening students’ critical autonomy and introducing them to the methodologies of historical-legal research.
Prerequisites
No specific prior knowledge is required, although a basic familiarity with historical, anthropological, or institutional studies may be helpful. The course will provide the necessary tools to navigate the ancient Near Eastern context, and regular attendance will support the acquisition and understanding of the material.
Books
M. T. Roth, Law Collections from Mesopotamia and Asia Minor, Writings from the Ancient World 6. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995 (repr. 1997, 2005).
R. Westbrook (ed.), A History of Ancient Near Eastern Law, vol. I, Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2003, pp. 361–617.
Supplementary articles and materials will be provided during the course via the Moodle platform.
Frequency
Attendance is not mandatory but strongly recommended. The course includes classroom discussions and participatory sessions that offer added value to individual learning. All necessary materials will be made available on the Moodle platform to ensure full accessibility for non-attending students.
Exam mode
The final assessment will consist of an oral examination, aimed at verifying the student’s achievement of the expected learning outcomes.
The exam will include two main components:
1) Analysis of a primary source (such as a contract, law, or court record) studied during the course. The student will be asked to contextualize the document and provide commentary on its structure, legal language, and practical function, demonstrating a sound understanding of course content.
2) Critical discussion on broader themes covered in class, with questions designed to assess the student’s ability to connect legal, social, and institutional aspects of Mesopotamian law, and to apply legal categories in an informed and critical manner.
The evaluation will consider:
- understanding of legal sources;
- ability to analyse and contextualise documents;
- independent reasoning and critical thinking;
- clarity of exposition and appropriate use of technical vocabulary.
Bibliography
A selection of additional thematic readings will be made available in PDF format during the course for further personal study
Lesson mode
Teaching will be delivered mainly through lectures, during which translated legal sources from ancient Mesopotamia will be examined and discussed. Sessions will also include guided discussions, aimed at encouraging critical thinking and fostering connections between legal, social, and institutional aspects.
All teaching materials produced by the instructor, as well as selected primary sources and academic articles in PDF format, will be made available on the Moodle platform.
