History of Law - 600 BC

600 BC: Lycurgus' Law
This King of Sparta (southern Greece) was a renowned lawgiver.
His laws were never written, just transmitted orally and were
designed to support the military vocation of Sparta. It held that
women had a duty to have children and that children born with
deformity were killed. Children became wards of Sparta at the age
of seven to prepare them for military duty. The greatest crime of
all was retreat in battle. The Laws of Lycergus controlled
virtually every aspect of the lives of citizens of Sparta.
A ore interesting and detailed Wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycurgus_%28Sparta%29

A short essay about Lycurgus