AKKD 40200 War, Trade, and Curses: Akkadian Treaties
Treaties written in Akkadian are one of the oldest surviving witnesses of international law. Furthermore, those texts give an insight in the organization of international trade, the treatment of fugitives, and state organization. The curse – an integral part to protect the legal arrangements – give us furthermore information about religion, fears and believes, and forms of divine punishments. In this class we will read and discuss selected treaties from different periods of Mesopotamian history: we will start with Old Babylonian and Old Assyrian documents, read texts from the so-called “International Age”, and end with the Neo-Assyrian Succession Treaty of Esarhaddon.
Prerequisites: One year of Akkadian and Intermediate Akkadian.