Hammurabi

Hammurabi (fl. 18th century bc), King of Babylonia, and the most important ruler of the first dynasty of Babylon. Accurate dates for his life and reign cannot be given, although the so-called middle chronology establishes his reign from about 1792 to 1750 bc. He extended his empire northwards from the Persian Gulf across the Tigris and Euphrates river valleys and westward to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. After consolidating his gains under a central government at Babylon, he devoted his energies to protecting his frontiers and fostering the internal prosperity of the empire. Throughout his long reign he personally supervised navigation, irrigation, agriculture, tax collection, and the erection of many temples and other buildings. Although he was a successful military leader and administrator, Hammurabi is primarily remembered for his codification of the laws governing Babylonian life, known as the Code of Hammurabi.