Storiascopio · Era 6 of 12 · primary year 5
The Laws of the Twelve Tables
about 450 BC · Roman Forum, Rome
In short
Around the middle of the 5th century BC a committee of ten men, the decemvirs, wrote down the laws of Rome on twelve tablets displayed in the Forum. Until then the rules were known mainly to the patricians, the richest and most powerful families. The plebeians, the ordinary people, had asked for written laws so that they would not be treated unfairly. The original tablets have been lost, but some sentences have come down to us through ancient writers.
Why it matters Written laws that are the same for everyone are a step towards justice, and Roman law lies at the root of many legal codes today.
Source: Treccani, entry “Dodici Tavole”
Where we are in the era “Ancient Rome”
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about 753 BCEvent 3 of 25AD 476
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/the-laws-of-the-twelve-tables/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class