1. Rome’s Twelve Tables
Not this kind of
Table!!!

2. The Twelve Tables
A set of laws that everyone in Rome was expected to follow

3. Politics in Rome
Roman people (who weren’t slaves or in prison) could be part of two social classes
Patricians- upper class
Wealthy landowners who had money ($$$), power, AND the right to vote
Plebeians- lower class
Not wealthy, did not own land, but had the rights and privileges of Roman citizenship

4. Patricians and Plebeians
Patricians= made the laws
Jobs:
Judge, member of the senate, wealthy landowner, wealthy merchant, military leader, tax collector
Plebeians= followed the laws
Shopkeeper, farmer, craftsmen (made fabric, weapons, pottery), bakers, butchers, military (soldier)

5. Sometimes Patricians and Plebeians fought…
Patrician make the laws … but sometimes Plebeians got in the way
Plebeians demand basic rights… and the Patricians have to listen
SOLUTION: The Twelve Tables are created, rules for everybody to follow!

6. 1. If you are called to go to court, you must go
1. If you are called to go to court, you must go. If you refuse to go, you can be taken to court by force.  

7. 2. If you need a witness to testify and he refuses, you can go once every three days and shout in front of his house.



8. 3. If a tree on a neighbor's farm is leaning over your farm, you can take legal action for removal of that tree.



9. 4. If it's your tree, it’s your fruit, even if the fruit falls on another man’s land.  


“Hey! Those apples are mine!”

10. 5. A person who has been found guilty of giving false witness (lying in court) shall be hurled down from the Tarpeian Rock.



11. 6. No person shall hold meetings by night in the city.



12. 7. A dead man shall not be buried or burned within the city.



13. 8. Marriages should not take place between plebeians and patricians.
(As time went on this law was changed. When the tables were first written, however, this was the law.)

14. Categorize
Using highlighters, place each of the tables in three categories
Behavior/Conduct
Court/Legal Cases
Personal Property

15. Write your response on the back of your paper (complete sentences):
Question 1: Do you think these rules are fair? Why, or why not?
(I do/do not think these rules are fair because…)
Question 2: How would you feel about these rules if you were a wealthy Patrician? Why?
(If I were a Patrician…)
Question 3: How would you feel about these rules if you were a non-landowning citizen, a Plebeian? Why?
(If I were a Plebeian…)
Question 4: Choose one of the twelve tables and compare (explain how it is similar) to a law in the U.S.
(One Table that is similar to a law we have in the U.S. is Table __, which says, ____________________. It is similar to ________, because…)

16. Meet Your Match
You have either the “literal translation” or a “modern translation”
Find a student who has your match
Both you and your match stand by your number (literal translations have the number 1-8!)
Check your translations (there is only one correct modern translation per group! So if you have more than one modern translation, figure out who is mismatched! If you are mismatched, your match is still looking for you—find them!)