The execution of justice was integral to the peaceful coexistence of human beings in the ancient and medieval worlds. There were various channels for the execution of justice, and these included court systems and community decisions. Kings also had a role to play in the execution of justice, and it should be understood that most of the decisions made were in agreement with written laws. There are several medieval laws that helped facilitate the execution of justice. In this case, one of the medieval laws, The Code of the Salian Franks, is compared to The Code of Hammurabi.
According to The Code of the Salian Franks, justice in the ancient and the medieval world means that a wrongdoer had to be punished for his or her actions. The code stresses sentencing the wrongdoer to a certain amount of denars or shillings. For instance, it is stated that if any wrongdoer is summoned before the “Thing” by the laws of the king and fails to come, then such a person shall be sentenced to 600 denars that make 15 shillings (“The Law of the Salian Franks” p.1)
On the other hand, justice in the ancient and medieval world according to The Code of Hammurabi means that a wrongdoer had to be punished for his or her actions by being sentenced to death. For instance, the code states that a person believed to have stolen cattle, an ass, a goat, a pig, or sheep that belong to the court or a god shall be forced to pay thirtyfold, therefore; if the stolen animals belong to a freed man of the king, the person shall pay tenfold; and if the person has nothing to pay, then he or she shall be put to death (“Code of Hammurabi” p.1).
In conclusion, The Code of Hammurabi proposes sentencing a wrongdoer to death despite the crime committed, and this is in contrast to The Code of the Salian Franks that proposes sentencing a wrongdoer to a number of denars or shillings depending on the crime committed.
Works Cited
Code of Hammurabi, c. 1780 BCE. Ancient History Sourcebook, 1998.
The Law of the Salian Franks. Medieval Sourcebook, 1996. R