Ancient Blog

When we think of ancient law, Hammurabi's 'eye for an eye' usually comes to mind. But another empire had a different idea.

Around 1650 BCE, King Hattusili I of the Hittites issued a new legal code. It was carved onto clay tablets in cuneiform script.

His laws were notable for what they avoided. Where others called for death or mutilation, the Hittites prescribed fines.

If you injured someone, you paid a set price in silver. The cost scaled with the victim's social status, but the principle held: justice meant compensation, not retaliation.

Even more strikingly, the laws applied downward. A slave who was wronged could bring a case and be owed compensation by their master.

This wasn't about modern equality. It was about economic order and social stability.

A maimed slave was a useless asset; a compensated one could keep working. Yet the effect was profound.

It created a system where even the lowest had a sliver of legal recourse, a concept virtually unheard of in the ancient Near East.

The Hittite Empire fell over three thousand years ago. But these clay tablets preserve a moment where a ruler considered the value of every person in his realm, not just their punishment.

We often imagine Vikings as raiders, but their greatest fortunes were sometimes made as hired guards.

By the 9th and 10th centuries, Norse traders and mercenaries had reached the heart of the Islamic world.

The Abbasid Caliphs in Baghdad possessed immense wealth and needed loyal, intimidating protection. Vikings were perfect for the role.

Their foreignness made them less entangled in local politics, and their fierce reputation made them ideal for the job.

Guarding the Caliph's door was a position of high trust and came with lavish pay, often in silver dirhams.

Thousands of these Arabic coins have been found in Viking hoards back in Scandinavia. They tell a story of employment, not just conflict.

For a leader like Ingvar, serving a Caliph was a smart career move—safer than constant raiding and far more profitable.

It created a direct pipeline of Islamic silver flowing north.