Transcript Twelve Tables (450 B.C.)

Twelve Tables (450 B.C.)
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Rome’s 1st code of laws
Earliest surviving lit. from the Romans
Applied to all Roman citizens
Inadequate for later Roman needs, ex.
problems b/t Romans and non-Romans 
new, more encompassing law developed
Instructions
1. Interpret the meaning of each law. Write out
meaning and/or annotate the text.
2. Make a list of Roman values revealed in your
set of laws.
3. Choose 2 laws to present, along with the list
of values.
Roman Values
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Responsibility
structure
Obedience
Duty
Harsh justice
Debt slavery
Distrust of foreigners
Physical perfection
Survival of the fittest
Family honor
Patrilinear inheritance
Male-dominated
• Food/crops are
valuable
• Buildings/property
rights are valuable
• Self-defense
• Revenge
• Mercy
• Empathy
• Innocent until proven
guilty
• Fairness / justice
• Cleanliness /
sanitation, safety
Halloween Costumes
- Blue whale
- MIB
- Monkey
- Jellyfish
- Conjoined twin
- GI Joe
- Bumble bee
- Teletubbie
QuickWrite
Are the values that you identified in the 12
Tables similar to or different from the values
encoded in American law today? Give at least
3 specific examples to support your
statement.
Similarities
• Spare the air / no burning
corpses
• Innocent until proven guilty
• Property rights
• Contracts are upheld
• Punishment fits crime
• Concepts of justice /
fairness
• Marriage laws
Differences
• US govt doesn’t regulate
marriage b/t ppl of different
social classes
• No infanticide (or murder of
people with disabilities or
murder of people)
• No slaves
• Roman law has harsher
punishments
• Women’s rights