Illustration
This infographic illustrates the Laws of the Twelve Tables, the first written code of Roman law, publicly displayed around 450 BCE. By setting down rules on property, family, and civil procedure, the Twelve Tables created a transparent legal framework that applied equally to Roman citizens and shaped subsequent legal tradition.
Compiled in response to plebeian demands for predictable justice, the Tablets addressed topics ranging from debt and contracts to marriage, inheritance, and criminal penalties. Their clear, publicly posted provisions curtailed arbitrary judgments by magistrates and became the bedrock of later Roman jurisprudence. Over centuries, the Twelve Tables’ emphasis on written statutes, due process, and civic equality influenced the development of Western legal systems.
About the Author
Related Images
Law Code Tablet of King Hammurabi from Nippur
Law Code of King Ur-Nammu
Hammurabi's Law Code
The Law Code of Gortyn, Crete
Book of Nuremberg Laws
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, 1789
Cite This Work
APA Style
Netchev, S. (2023, June 02). The Roman Laws of the Twelve Tables, c. 449 BCE. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17482/the-roman-laws-of-the-twelve-tables-c-449-bce/
Chicago Style
Netchev, Simeon. "The Roman Laws of the Twelve Tables, c. 449 BCE." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified June 02, 2023. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17482/the-roman-laws-of-the-twelve-tables-c-449-bce/.
MLA Style
Netchev, Simeon. "The Roman Laws of the Twelve Tables, c. 449 BCE." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 02 Jun 2023, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/17482/the-roman-laws-of-the-twelve-tables-c-449-bce/. Web. 20 Jun 2025.
