From the translation of Heber Seamus Moloney,
Remains of Old Latin III, circa 450 B.C.
The Twelve Tables were written by the
Decemviri Consulari Imperio Legibus Scribundis, the 10 Consuls, who
were given unprecedented powers to draft the laws of the young Republic.
The new code promoted the organization of public prosecution of
crimes and instituted a system whereby injured parties could seek
compensation in civil disputes.
The plebeians were protected from the
legal abuses of the ruling patricians, especially in the enforcement
of debts. Serious punishments were levied for theft and the law gave male
heads of families enormous social power. The important basic principle of a writen legal code for Roman law was established, and justice was no longer based solely on the interpretation of judges.
To Top