The Twelve Tables Of Roman Law

Both the United States and roman republic have government that is similar today. In the United States we have the: executive branch, legislative branch, and judicial branch. The twelve tables remind me of the bill of rights. The law of the twelve

Emperor Justinian did so well earlier in time that current governments advert to his regulations as counselor for their own laws. For example, innocent until proven guilty; we use this in the United States as well as many other countries. Justinian used the 12 Tables of Roman law as the foundation of law in the law in the Byzantine Empire because they developed ideas of justice. This justice spoke for the people and helped them in their time of need. These laws gave fairness throughout the

The Code of Hammurabi from the ancient Babylonian civilization, and the Twelve Tables from Ancient Rome society were both sets of laws from by which their societies had to abide. The Ancient Babylonian society abided by the Code of Hammurabi while the Ancient Romans abided by The Twelve Tables. Although they both served as promising laws to live by, they also served as tools that defined and distinguished each citizen’s position in the social order. Depending on where they stood in the social order, any criminal punishment would be tailored to that specific class. In Mesopotamian history, the most consummate code of law was the Code of Hammurabi, engendered by the King Hammurabi. The Twelve Tables was created by the Roman elites in order to create justice and fairness between the plebian and patricians. Both these sets of laws, although belonging to different societies, sought to create the illusion of fairness and equality outwardly towards the people, and inwardly, reward the rich and elite of their respective social class with power. Although these sets of laws belonged to different societies, they both casted an illusion of fairness and equality. However, in actuality these regulations only benefited the rich and elite.

The Twelve Tables were the first laws ever written down and shown to the public in Ancient Rome. The Twelve Tables were displayed in the Roman Forum or marketplace. The Twelve Tables were also the earliest surviving writings of Ancient Rome.

Roman law in the republic was often based on custom (Paul-Louis). During the Roman Empire, however, the emperor became the final source of law. Roman law was one of the original products of the Roman mind. They created the Twelve Tables, which was the first Roman code of law developed during the early republic. Roman civil law allowed great flexibility in adopting new ideas or extending principles in the complex environment of the empire. This was to establish laws that allowed greater fairness. Early Roman law

The source of this law Code was the Twelve Tables. The basis of Justinian's Code was to created a more organized set of laws. Also to make laws more effective in the Byzantine Empire. Since it was more effective less crimes were committed. After Justinian's rule many empowers used this law Code.

The Roman's executive branch, had two consuls and they were elected by the assembly for one year to be the chief executives of the government and the commanders-in-chief of the army. In the judicial branch, the Praetors and the eight judges are chosen for one year by the Centuriate Assembly. Both the Praetor and the eight judges oversee the civil and criminal courts. To become a citizens you have to be an adult male landowner. The citizens had the right to vote, to make legal contracts, to have a lawful marriage, and to have a trial. A common citizen would vote to elect tribunes and to make laws. The Romans had the Twelve Tablets which, were a list of rules that was the basis of the Roman legal system. The laws in the Twelve Tablets talked about property, crime, family, theft, and inheritance.

Rome was extremely organized in the sense that it had in-depth infrastructure and politics. For example, the Roman road network was most complex and advanced road network in the classical world. (Doc 3) Travel, trade, and military actions were all made quicker and easier. This, of course, kept the empire alive for so long. Rome was also organized politically. From a very early point in its history, Rome wrote extensive laws. This is shown by codes such as the Twelve Tables, detailing points such as different ways to deal with debt. (Doc 7) Codes of law such as this are indicative of Rome’s early political organization. The main purpose of creating laws such as these was to maintain order and control over the people of Rome. Without laws and codes detailing aspects of life, the civilization would not be very effective in governing its people. Not only was Rome highly organized, it also had a significant amount of social progress. This can be seen in the ability for people in the civilization to become citizens. In Rome almost every person living in the empire can be a citizen with the exception of slaves. (Doc 8) This contrasts with other civilizations such as Athens that only offered citizenship to males born in the republic. This social progress found in Rome in combination with the great organization of the civilization aided Rome in lowering unrest and adding to the overall

In Ancient Rome, The way society worked was much similar to America. The Roman social class is and has been very significant in the operational American social class. None of the Roman class’ was oppressed or enslaved rather they were split into two. Once the Romans defeated the Etruscans they went on to build an empire that would change the world. Their influence in today’s society is still very present. We still borrow ideas from them. They formed a government where they would elect people to represent for them, called a republic. This is still the foundation for government in most of today’s world. They formed a system of law that was completely ahead of it’s time so much so that it has become the base for many countries legal system today; one of these being The United States. The political system they built, coincidental caused a division between the Romans. Plebeians were the common people of Rome; the Patricians who were the ones of higher class could serve in the consul. This was the highest position in the senate. The Assembly was made up of Plebeians. They had gained a significant amount of importance when they were the ones given the power to elect Consuls. The Assembly head position was a tribune; he was the leader of the Assembly and had a lot of power. Then they developed the Law of Twelve Tables, a

In 450 B.C., the first Roman law code was inscribed on 12 bronze tablets–known as the Twelve Tables–and publicly displayed in the Roman Forum. These laws included issues of legal procedure, civil rights and property rights and provided the basis for all future Roman civil law. (Staff)

The Twelve Tables were first introduced to the Roman empire in 455 BC. The Plebeian and Patrician empires appointed a council of ten men to form a set of rules that bound their people. The council was called the Decemviri. Together, the

The ability to be ruled over a constitution gave the citizens guidelines and principles of penalties and un-approved actions one might occur to. The constitution balanced the separation of powers and scheduled elections. All of Roman laws were to be written in the 12 tables. The 12 tables was a constitution concerning laws for the people. Some categories of laws were Concerning judgement and thefts, concerning property which is lent, concerning the laws or real property, concerning public law , concerning religious law and ect. ( ssun.edu) The use of these laws provided a fair nation considering the faults of others and their penalties to society. The 12 tables was was developed in the early days of the Roman republic and the system lasted approximately 1000 years. Some laws concerning the nation were “putting to death …. of any man who has not been convicted, who ever he might be, is forbidden”. Also there were 8 types of punishments which were fines, fetters, flogging, retaliation in kind, civil disagreement, banishment, slavery and even death for any disobeyed laws in the constitution. The evidence proved that the republic of Rome had a constitution as a ruler for the citizens and because of it there was laws for them making it a safer city rather than having chaos without the punishments being recruited.

During the period of 451- 450 BC, the twelve tables containing roman law came into play for the sake of the roman peoples. During this set of occasions one might find themselves just as in favor of the law, as without. Rome as a whole was in considerable debt, and as the laws entail, required those who were not as financially fortunate to seek a span of self inflicted slavery so as to rummage up that which could be payed in favor of debts under the control of the indebted. Considering this, certain laws came into play such as tablet IV. 2 decree limiting permissions a father had over his sons who we could consider as the one most typically put into slavery for the debts of his parents. Other laws applicable to similar scenarios involving those of the father usually instate a role of control and ownership over the family, such as the right to him to sell his own children, have complete ownership of his daughter even into her adulthood, and as such have the same ownership to his wife as if she were his

By that time, the Republic had extended its control throughout the Mediterranean Sea and as far as Britain. That control would operate under an informal unwritten constitution, and establish the use of Latin as its official language, while codifying rights, responsibilities, and status under a written law. Beginning with the Law of the Twelve Tables, Roman jurisprudence would develop over the next one thousand years into a legal system that would eventually become the early basis for law in continental Europe. Even English and North American “common law” owes more than a passing debt to the Romans. Case law and precedents find their roots in a Latin legal term, stare decisis, meaning “ to stand by things decided”. The development of a written law was seen as a method of eliminating indiscriminant application of the law by magistrates and officials upon the lower plebeian class.

The first source we have to look at is the Twelve Tables: Laws on Offenses and Damages. We learn within our source that these Tables were inscribed on twelve ivory plaques or tablets between 451 and 449 BCE (Source Document Reader, Document 5). These Tables where a way to make Roman laws more understandable to the