Epic of the Online Class

The Epic of Gilgamesh as well as the Code of Hammurabi can relate to each other through the insight they both give of early civilization. As more people lived closed together, how was society kept together? In the story of Gilgamesh the king, Gilgamesh took what he wanted. He raped the daughters, took the wives before their own husbands, forced sons into military service. Gilgamesh is part god and could not be questioned. He could change rules that governed the natural world, if they served his purpose. An example of this occurs when Gilgamesh kills the divine bull. He broke the laws of gods and was punished but the rule of Gilgamesh was beyond the "walls".

In contrast to Gilgamesh, King Hammurabi codified rules to govern society. People under Hammurabi's rule could look to laws in order to settle disputes and maintain civility with their neighbors. If you were inside the "walls" you obeyed the laws. Although some of the punishments were severe, people knew what to expect for commiting crimes and unjustices.

Society became more civil with the rule of law and consequently Babylon flourished.

Netiquette, in modern communications, establishes rules that govern our actions in a medium that could lend itself to misunderstanding. Emails, blogs, and other forms of communication with technology lack the ability to detect facial expressions, subtle sarcasm, or voice influctions that could change the intended meaning of a communication.

Rules empower people to govern themselves and take responsibility for their actions so, as a soceity, we can prosper.