Final answer:
The Code of Hammurabi assigned punishments according to social status, ranging from nobles to slaves, with the principle of "an eye for an eye" applying within the same social class. The class system deeply influenced the legal rights and duties, with a noble likely facing a lesser punishment for harming a commoner than vice versa.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Code of Hammurabi was a comprehensive set of laws that dictated the legal framework of ancient Babylon. Theft, as with other crimes, was dealt with according to one's social status, which was divided into categories such as nobles (awelum), commoners (mushkenum), and the enslaved (wardum). The principle of proportional retribution, often summarized as "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," applied to perpetrators and victims of the same class. For instance, if a commoner committed a crime against a noble, the punishment would likely be more severe compared to a noble who harmed a commoner, where the latter might only pay a fine.
This distinction in punishment reflects the hierarchical nature of Babylonian society where social class influenced one's rights and obligations under the law. The code also included provisions to address fairness, such as protecting individuals from unfair loan terms and offering legal protections to women, although they had lower legal status compared to men.
The question of why different punishments and expectations were applied based on social position can be attributed to the structured class system in place at the time. The Babylonian society, like many other ancient societies, operated on a class-based hierarchy which was reflected in their law. The legal status and access to rights were generally correlated with one's position in this hierarchy.