Man is the measure of all things, with a vengeance. So much early law is concerned with price setting and particularly the price of human’s dead and alive, whole or in parts. It may well that man (or humans to make it gender neutral) is money before anything else plays that role, both as a measure of value to be sure, but also, horror of horrors, as a means of payment. We shall look at certain problems of value, evaluation, commensuration, revenge, compensation, sacrifice and ritual, as these go to figuring out how we go about establishing debts of hospitality and blood, and how strike the balance. Readings will include samples of the ancient Mesopotamian laws, including biblical codes, Germanic codes, as well as certain readings from social theory and epic. We might also trouble ourselves a bit about systems of weights and measures. Weekly reaction papers and a short course paper.