factbase-ancient-history/legal-codes/twelve-tables.md

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# Twelve Tables

# Twelve Tables

## Overview
The Twelve Tables (~451–450 BCE) were the foundation of Roman law, the first written legal code of the Roman Republic. They were created in response to plebeian demands for publicly accessible laws. @t[451 BCE..450 BCE]

## Key Facts
- Date: ~451–450 BCE @t[451 BCE..450 BCE]
- Issuer: Decemviri (commission of ten men)
- Language: Archaic Latin
- Context: Conflict of the Orders between patricians and plebeians

## Content
- Originally inscribed on twelve bronze tablets displayed in the Roman Forum
- Covered: Court procedure, debt, family law, property, inheritance, torts, public law [^1]
- Established legal equality (in principle) between patricians and plebeians
- Prohibited intermarriage between classes (later repealed by *Lex Canuleia*, 445 BCE) @t[=445 BCE]

## Significance
- Foundation of all subsequent Roman law (*ius civile*)
- First written Roman law, ending patrician monopoly on legal interpretation
- Roman schoolchildren memorized them for centuries
- Original tablets lost (possibly in the Gallic sack of Rome, 390 BCE) @t[=390 BCE] [^2]
- Survived through quotations in later Roman legal and literary sources

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[^1]: Crawford, M.H. *Roman Statutes* (1996)
[^2]: Watson, A. *Rome of the XII Tables* (Princeton, 1975)
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## Review Queue

<!-- factbase:review -->
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Date: ~451–450 BCE" - when was this true?
> 450 BCE event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Issuer: Decemviri (commission of ten men)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Language: Archaic Latin" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Context: Conflict of the Orders between patricians and plebeians" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Originally inscribed on twelve bronze tablets displayed in the Roman Forum" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Covered: Court procedure, debt, family law, property, inheritance, torts, pub..." - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Established legal equality (in principle) between patricians and plebeians" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Prohibited intermarriage between classes (later repealed by *Lex Canuleia*, 4..." - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 22: "Foundation of all subsequent Roman law (*ius civile*)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 23: "First written Roman law, ending patrician monopoly on legal interpretation" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Roman schoolchildren memorized them for centuries" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Original tablets lost (possibly in the Gallic sack of Rome, 390 BCE) [^2]" - when was this true?
> 390 BCE event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 26: "Survived through quotations in later Roman legal and literary sources" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Crawford (1996) [^1]; Watson (1975) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Date: ~451–450 BCE" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Issuer: Decemviri (commission of ten men)" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Language: Archaic Latin" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Context: Conflict of the Orders between patricians and plebeians" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "Originally inscribed on twelve bronze tablets displayed in the Roman Forum" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Established legal equality (in principle) between patricians and plebeians" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Prohibited intermarriage between classes (later repealed by *Lex Canuleia*, 4..." - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 22: "Foundation of all subsequent Roman law (*ius civile*)" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 23: "First written Roman law, ending patrician monopoly on legal interpretation" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Roman schoolchildren memorized them for centuries" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 26: "Survived through quotations in later Roman legal and literary sources" - what is the source?
> Crawford (1996) [^1], Watson (1975) [^2]
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 17: "Covered: Court procedure, debt, family law, property, inheritance, torts, pub..." - Crawford source from 1996 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Crawford's work on early Roman law is still authoritative.
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 25: "Original tablets lost (possibly in the Gallic sack of Rome, 390 BCE) [^2]" - Watson source from 1975 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Watson's work on Roman legal history is still foundational.