Laws and Government of Ancient Rome

By Madi Di Vico and Andrew Baffuto

Government in Rome

• In 494 B.C. the Plebeians rebelled against the patricians • Rome’s republic lasted nearly 500 years • a representative is a person that ran for the government• the Senate’s role/job was to make the laws for the government • The Citizen Assembly’s role was to elect the tribunes and the

Rome's army commander and the most powerful judges. Tribunes made sure that plebeians got fair trials.

• Consuls were the third branch of the government. They served for 1 year as Rome’s army commanders and the most powerful judges. They were elected by the citizen’s assembly role.

Laws of Rome

• Governor’s enforced Rome’s laws and were the judges if something went wrong.

• The people who enforced the laws were treated as upper class.• The Twelve Tables were the foundation of the Roman law, the

earliest written collection of Roman laws they were written in 450 B.C.

• the Twelve Tables were posted in the Forum, part of the market, part town square, and the place where citizen’s presented their cases before the judges.

Twelve Tables of Rome• Even though the twelve tables were smashed in an invasion, we

know that they existed because of the written recollections of Romans, who as children had memorized the twelve tables word-for-word in school.

• The Twelve Tables were established in 450-451 B.C. because the plebeians successfully protested against unfair application of unwritten “laws” by the patricians. The Twelve Tables were not new laws created, but they were a recording of the unwritten laws that already had been in existence for many years before.

• Civil law is the body of laws in a government that regulate ordinary matters.

• The eldest male had the most power over his descendants because Rome was patriarchal.

• There were laws protecting slave ownership because without the slaves no one would be able to work the fields.

SummaryWithout the Twelve Tables of Rome there would be no way for the plebeians to have their laws enforced. Also that there would be no laws and Rome would be a brawl all day. Without the Twelve Tables Rome’s government wouldn't be strong and would only have protesting plebeians. Thus, the Twelve Tables made Rome not insane and kept people alive. In conclusion, Rome's government and laws wouldn't be what they are today without the Twelve Tables.

Questions

• When did the plebeians rebel against the patricians?

• What were the Twelve Tables a foundation of and when were they written?

• Why were the twelve tables written?

Answers to Questions

• The Plebeians rebelled against the patricians in 494 B.C.• The Twelve Tables were the foundation of the Roman

law, the earliest written collection of Roman laws they were written in 450 B.C.

• The Twelve Tables were established in 450-451 B.C. because the plebeians successfully protested against unfair application of unwritten “laws” by the patricians. The Twelve Tables were not new laws created, but they were a recording of the unwritten laws that already had been in existence for many years before.