The 18th century BCE networking genius

My biggest surprise in reading about Hammurabi is the lack of mention of his famous law codes. Indeed, I learned that the enduring codes were not written until the end of Hammurabi’s rule. Most of his great accomplishments, in fact, have to do with his unification of Mesopotamia and fair and just rule.
Hammurabi’s success in conquest and diplomacy was the result of luck/good timing and intelligence. A couple times, for example when Elam tried to turn Babylonia against Larsa, Hammurabi outsmarted the ploys of the foreign instigator. It is easy to see why Hammurabi’s reign was so long and illustrious. First of all, Hammurabi did not have to engage in combat until the end of his kingship, giving him plenty of time to build diplomatic relations with neighboring territories and garner support within his own lands. Among his own people, Hammurabi was immensely popular and regarded as a good ruler. Mieroop identifies three behaviors of Hammurabi’s as ensuring the support of his subjects: he forgave personal debt when he first came to power, he supported the temple in lands throughout his empire, and he protected his people by maintaining cities’ defenses.
Hammurabi’s intelligence can also be described as a lack of arrogance. He was not a brash ruler, always giving credit to his allies. When he defeats the armies of Elam and Eshnunna, he gives credit to Zimri-Lim of Mari and the gods.
It appears, however, that Hammurabi’s desire (to put it nicely) to stabilize the region got the best of him in the end. After two years of conquest, the military coalition Hammurabi used to defeat Elam and Larsa was ready for a break. Thus, when Hammurabi turned his sights to Eshnunna, he was without the support of his neighbors. I believe that, in the end, Hammurabi’s greatest assets were his diplomatic networking skills. Elam, rich in tin, had an easy time attracting aide with its wealth, but when times got tough, the empire’s extensive use of mercenaries backfired. Ultimately, Elam had to withdraw from its conquest of Northern Mesopotamia and attempted conquest of Babylonia because of dissent within its own army. Hammurabi’s forces persevered because his alliances were based on long-maintained relations with neighbors and trustworthiness to not do something sneaky.