Twelve Tables, Laws of the, were the first written laws of ancient Rome. The laws were inscribed on 12 tables, or tablets, that originally were fastened to the speaker’s stand in the Roman Forum, where legal trials occurred. They represented a guarantee of equality before the law for all Roman citizens.
The laws were based on earlier civil, criminal, and religious customs. They formally established legal procedures and the rights of Roman citizens. They dealt with a variety of issues, including building codes, marriage, property ownership, and murder and other crimes.
The laws were drawn up in 451 and 450 B.C. by decemvirs (members of a council of 10 men) to settle class conflicts. Large parts of the laws are preserved in the works of Roman writers who, like all Roman boys, had learned them by heart. The laws began to be revised in the 200’s B.C.
