A clear
achievement of the Babylonians was that they were able to conquer and control a huge swath of
territory. At its height in the eighteenth century BC, the Babylonian Empire stretched from the
Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. It essentially dominated the entire Fertile Crescent as
well as all the major trade routes of the Middle East.
The city of Babylon
itself was quite the achievement. It was well organized, utilizing urban planning strategies
that had streets laid out in a grid. There were early sewer systems and sanitation services. It
is thought that it was the first city ever to have a population above two hundred
thousand.
There were many notable cultural achievements of the Babylonians.
Many sophisticated terracotta statues remain that depict various deities and show a high level
of craftsmanship. They were also skilled astronomers who developed their own calendars by
carefully charting the heavens. This involved a good grasp of mathematics and planning. Using
their knowledge of the movement of celestial bodies, the Babylonians divided the day into the
twenty-four-hour period which we still use today.
They were also writers and
storytellers. The upper classes of Babylonian society were highly educated and literate. Almost
every city had a library. They had texts relating to medicine, commerce, religion, and
philosophy. We can also thank them for one of the earliest surviving works of , The
Epic of Gilgamesh.
Another achievement worth noting is the
Babylonian system of laws. The earliest known codified laws are known as Hammurabi's Code. This
system of laws improved upon the earlier laws of the Akkadians and Sumerians. It had a lasting
impact on many of the legal systems to follow it.
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