The Assignment: Please write an essay on the topic listed below. These are broad questions and you should not deal with every issue raised by the prompts provided. Instead, develop your own thesis and make an original argument around a few key points that you discuss in depth with concrete examples from the primary sources. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain how well you have grappled with the primary sources. You may bring in secondary literature if necessary, which should be cited using the MLA format. But please remember that this paper is to gauge the originality of your argument grounded in your observations of the primary readings.

Format:

2 pages, 12-point font One-inch margins (top, bottom and sides) Numbered pages Footnotes Proper citation style

Citation of Primary Sources: Use the MLA format in order to cite sources in the body of your paper. This link, which takes you to a page sponsored by the writing center, will provide helpful information regarding the citation of sources.http://www.nvcc.edu/loudoun/writing/onlinewritingcenter/building.html#5

Essay Topics:

1. Law Codes and Empire: Compare and contrast the two law codes listed below. What are the purposes of these codes and whom do they seek to regulate? How do these codes express a theory of empire that transcends localized control? In what way does spirituality factor into these codes? Make sure to ground your essay in the specific historical context and use the full range of the codes supplied:

A. Code of Hammurabi: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp 

B. Capitularies of Charlemagne: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/medieval/capitula.asp

Sources: You must cite specific examples from the codes and you must use a citation when offering evidence. You should use footnotes when you cite examples from the primary source documents. But don’t fill your paper with a lot of quotes (this is the lazy way to write a paper and results in a low grade). Rather than use long quotes, paraphrase the quote in your own words.