Laws were formal expressions of authority, used to define acceptable conduct and the limits of power. They were set down by kings, councils, temples, or charters, and varied widely from one realm to the next in both scope and enforcement. In some regions laws were detailed and written, enforced by courts and officers, while elsewhere they existed as remembered custom, upheld by elders or threat of reprisal.
Regardless of form, laws primarily served to protect existing hierarchies, preserve order, and provide justification for punishment, and were often revised or ignored when they no longer suited those who ruled.