Illegal impressment for public service
The officials who were under obligation to furnish men for public work and the army, doubtless often found a difficulty [pg 326] in making up their quota, and impressed men who were not strictly liable for duty. Such men as those called KA-DUR, KAPAR, MU, PATESI, are named on the letters as exempt from the service. But even this is not conclusive. They are not exempted because they are of these ranks, but because they have been wrongly assigned to the service. Their masters may have been exempt from the liability to furnish a man; or already engaged in royal service. Slaves and poor men were subject, as we know from the Code. Here is one of the letters on the question:[832]
To Sin-iddinam say, thus saith Ḥammurabi: Naram-Sin, the shepherd, hath said thus, saith he, “The herdsmen in my hands have been put in the corvée.” Thus he said. The herdsmen which are the property of Apil-Shamash and Naram-Sin shall not be put in the corvée. Now summon Etil-bi-Marduk and the officials and order them to return the herdsmen of Apil-Shamash and Naram-Sin, whom they have taken.
Here the KABAR, or herdsmen, are the employees of the shepherd, his “sheep-boys.” Their absence would be a danger to the flocks. The delinquent Etil-bi-Marduk was often in fault. Several other complaints against him appear in the letters, in his capacity of money-lender.[833] On two occasions he was sent for by the king, evidently with a view to punishment. Further, a patêsi in his service appealed to be transferred to another master.[834]
III. The Letters Of Samsu-Iluna And His Immediate Successors
Few in number
The discovered letters of Samsu-iluna are as yet comparatively few. They are not all addressed to one man. We may take one or two specimens.
About change of air for a goddess