Twelve Tables

During the times of Ancient Rome, the law wasn't necessarily fair to everyone. There were two main social classes, the plebeians and the patricians. The patricians were the only romans allowed to hold spots in office and have a say in the law. Plebeians were not able to have any say. However, eventually, the plebeians were fed up with this unfair treatment. They wanted a say in their government and they were going to fight for it. In order to be heard, the Plebeians began The Conflict of The Orders. This conflict went on for many years in Ancient Rome and it helped for the Plebeians to earn their rights. For example, during The Conflict of The Orders, the Plebeians had a protest for representation in the law and even marched out of Rome in order to get it. They succeeded and were given Tribunes, the only law occupation available for Plebeians to run for and be protected by. However, the Plebeians wanted more. They wanted a written law code so that the Patricians would stop altering the laws and making them unfair to everyone but them. This law code was called the twelve tables. These tables began with only twelve written laws on wood hanging up in the Roman Forum. However, they expanded as time went on. New laws were added using a specific system. Laws were proposed to the public, then the public discussed them, then they voted on them. There were three different assemblies, one for the rich, one for the poor, and one for both. The laws would fit into one of these assemblies and they could be voted on. Each law on the twelve tables contained a preamble, the main text, and a sanctio. The preamble discussed the origins of the law and how it came to be, the main text contained the law itself, and the sanctio contained the punishments for breaking the law. The Twelve tables seemed to be a good fix for the power struggles in Rome, but this fix didn't last. As Rome expanded, the laws were becoming more and more out of touch for the new Romans. The laws weren't fair to them. However, the Plebeians came in to save the day. Another struggle in The Conflict of The Orders led to the lex Hortensia to be created, making all laws passed by Plebeians to affect the new Romans as well.