A Sense of Justice in the Ancient World.
Since ancient times, man has tried to achieve the true forms of peace and justice by placing laws and writing Holy Scriptures. Governments have been set up in order to contain wrong doings and to provide the public people with a sense of belonging. With these governments came laws and new standards by which one had to conform to. People were no longer considered to be "free living" because the government of the land had put restrictions on what one could do and not do, thus redefining the term "free living" into "restricted living". With these restrictions came the separation of people into classes or social groups. Most of the time, wealthy individuals were guaranteed a good life, whether it be political standing or spiritual salvation, while the lower classes had to constantly contend to become recognizable, both to their Gods and to their peers. The question is then raised; were these ancient societies and their governments fair and how were these laws implemented? In order to answer these questions one must examine ancient societies" records (mostly religious) and the people of the society. The Mesopotamian, who had a clear law system and the Egyptians, who contrasted with the Mesopotamian way of life, are two cultures that can best answer the questions of fairness and justice.
Since city-states were growing in Mesopotamia and the demand for a political embrace became necessary and thus produced new problems for the cities including prejudice, developed religions, and new leaders. The Mesopotamian legal system was incredibly strict, resulting in little resistance by the public. King Hammurabi established a law code, which would become the framework for today's legal system. Multiple stones were planted along roads, which contained conformative laws to attest to the legitimacy of his rule. The Law Code of Hammurabi is perhaps the best record on hand, which explains the Mesopotamian legal system.