Ancient Rome
Roman Law
12 Tables & Justinian
Code
Essential Standards
• 6.C&G.1 Understand the development of
government in various civilizations, societies
and regions.
• 6.H.2 Understand the political, economic
and/or social significance of historical events,
issues, individuals and cultural groups.
Clarifying Objective
• 6.C&G.1.4 Compare the role (e.g. maintain order
and enforce societal values and beliefs) and
evolution of laws and legal systems (e.g. need for
and changing nature of codified system of laws
and punishment) in various civilizations, societies
and regions.
• 6.H.2.2 Compare historical and contemporary
events and issues to understand continuity and
change.
Essential Questions
• Why were laws written down & posted in
ancient civilizations?
• Why did the Roman 12 tables EVOLVE
(change) into the Justinian Code as time past?
• How does the HISTORICAL EVENT of the
Roman 12 Tables & Justinian Code live on
today in CONTEMPORARY times?
Roman 12 Tables
• The Roman 12 Tables
was the first coded law
system of Ancient Rome
• 12 Tables gave specific
rules & consequences
for breaking those rules
Roman 12 Tables
• The laws were literally
set in stone & couldn’t
be changed
• They were based on
everybody being EQUAL
before the law (unlike
Hammurabi’s Code)
• Very harsh system
First Roman Constitution
• Roman 12 Tables
operated as the First
Roman Constitution
• A constitution is the law
of the land which
everyone must follow
12 Tables
• There were 12 separate
tables
• Each one had different
laws in which all Romans
had to live by
• Each law was carved into
an ivory table and placed
in the Roman Forum
Written & Posted for all to See
• The Romans made sure
they wrote down &
posted all laws in the
Roman Forum for all
citizens to see
• Civilizations wrote
down & posted laws so
that all citizens could
read & understand
them
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…..
• Why were laws written down & posted in
ancient civilizations?
Roman 12 Tables
• Roman 12 Tables had laws
from everything from….
• Rights of fathers
• Land Rights
• How to handle Debt
• Trials
Consequences/Punishments
• 8 kinds of punishment for
breaking laws
• These consequences ranged
from a fine all the way to
death
• Other consequences
included….
①
②
③
④
Flogging
Civil Disgrace
Banishment
Slavery
Roman 12 Tables to Justinian Code
• Roman 12 Tables led to
the Justinian Code
• This was a different coded
legal system used much
later in Roman History
• Justinian Code had many
of the same laws that the
Roman Tables had
Justinian Code
• Justinian Code was a legal
system invented by
Byzantine Emperor Justinian
529 A.D.
• Justinian Code was written
to include all Roman 12
tables but to simplify the
law into ONE DOCUMENT
• This became the new
Roman Constitution
Justinian Code
• Justinian Code was
written by going through
all of the Roman Tables
Laws
• Kept the laws that still
were relevant
• Changed the laws to
simplify them in the new
code & make them more
clear
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…..
• Why did the Roman 12 tables EVOLVE
(change) into the Justinian Code as time past?
Justinian Code
• Got rid of the laws that
were not relevant any
more
• Also added a couple more
laws
• Most important one
being “a person is
innocent until proven
guilty”
Western World Law
• The Justinian Code has
formed the basis for
Western World Law
• This includes the legal
system in the United
States
• http://educationportal.com/academy/le
sson/justinians-code-oflaw-and-romanemperors-afterconstantine.html#lesso
n
Lesson Summery
• Roman 12 Tables became
the first CONSTITUTION
of Rome
• Emperor Justinian
invented the Justinian
Code
• This was a blend of the
Roman 12 Tables & new
fairer laws
Essential Questions
• Get with a partner and answer…..
• How does the HISTORICAL EVENT of the
Roman 12 Tables & Justinian Code live on
today in CONTEMPORARY times?
Lesson Summery
• The Justinian Code became
the Basis of the Western Law
System that we use today
• The historical event of the
writing of the Justinian Code
relates to the contemporary
Western Legal system because
it carries many of the same
laws & principles
• Civilizations wrote down &
posted laws so that all citizens
could read & understand them
EOG Questions
• Why did some ancient civilizations write and publish their laws?
• A) to allow patricians and plebeians to read and vote for the laws
• B) to record the laws so that historians would understand ancient
culture
• C) to ensure that citizens of the civilization would read and
understand the laws
• D) to guarantee that each politician received a personal copy of the
printed laws
Important Points
• 6.C&G.1.4 (Role & Evolution of
Laws) Ancient Romans first
had the Roman 12 Tables (first
Roman Law Code)
• 6.C&G.1.4 (Role & Evolution of
Laws) Rome switched to the
Justinian Code (New Roman
Law Code)
• 6.C&G.1.4 (Role & Evolution of
Laws) Laws were written down
so citizens would be able to
read & understand the laws
• 6.C&G.1.4 (Role & Evolution of
Laws) The difference between
these two law systems was
that Justinian Code rules that
were no longer needed were
taken out & new rules were
added in to make it more fair
• 6.H.2.2 (Historical vs.
Contemporary) Western World
now uses many ideas from the
Justinian Code today