Why were the Twelve Tables created, and why did they matter so much to the plebeians?
The Twelve Tables of about 450 BC: the demand for written law, the work of the Decemvirs and the fall of the second Decemvirate, the content and significance of the first written Roman law code, and its importance for the plebeians, studied through Livy.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the Twelve Tables of about 450 BC, covering the plebeian demand for written law, the work of the Decemvirs and the fall of the second Decemvirate, the content and significance of Rome's first written law code, and its importance for the plebeians, studied through Livy.
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What this dot point is asking
This dot point covers the Twelve Tables (about 450 BC), Rome's first written law code and a key plebeian victory in the Conflict of the Orders. You need to explain why the plebeians demanded written law, how the code came about (the Decemvirs and the fall of the second Decemvirate), and why it mattered. As ever, you must use Livy critically, since he tells the story as a moral drama.
The answer
The demand for written law
The Decemvirs and the making of the code
The fall of the second Decemvirate
Why the Twelve Tables mattered
But the content still favoured the patricians in places (for example, it banned marriage between patricians and plebeians, a ban soon overturned), so the Tables were a victory of process more than of full equality.
Examples in context
A model answer explains why public, written law mattered for the plebeians and judges its significance against its limits.
Try this
Q1. What were the Twelve Tables, and roughly when were they created? [Knowledge recall]
- Cue. Rome's first written law code, drawn up by the Decemvirs and displayed publicly in the Forum, around 450 BC.
Q2. Explain why writing the law down was so important to the plebeians. [Short explanation]
- Cue. Because the law had been unwritten and interpreted secretly by patrician magistrates, who could apply it unfairly; writing it down and displaying it publicly meant the plebeians could know the rules and rely on them, ending secret, arbitrary justice.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR J198/02 201910 marksExplain why the Twelve Tables were important for the plebeians. [10-mark explanation question]Show worked answer →
A Section A explanation question (AO1 and AO2) on significance.
Knowledge. The Twelve Tables of about 450 BC were Rome's first written law code, drawn up by ten men (the Decemvirs) and displayed publicly in the Forum.
Explanation. Reward developed reasons: writing the law down meant it could no longer be hidden or twisted by patrician magistrates; it gave plebeians knowable, public rules; and it was a step towards legal equality, even though much of the content still favoured the patricians.
Top band. Explain why a public, written law mattered most for the plebeians (it ended secret, arbitrary justice) and judge its significance against its limits (it did not end patrician dominance).
OCR J198/02 20218 marksStudy Livy's account of the Decemvirs (Book 3). How useful is this source for understanding how the Twelve Tables came about? [8-mark source-utility question]Show worked answer →
A Section A source-utility question (AO3). Judge usefulness through content and provenance.
Content. Livy describes the appointment of the Decemvirs to write the law, the abuse of power by the second board (especially Appius Claudius), and their fall; draw out the relevant detail.
Provenance. Livy writes centuries later, as a moralising historian; the dramatic story of the wicked Decemvir and the virtuous victim (Verginia) is shaped by Roman values, so it is useful for the tradition but must be tested.
Judgement. Conclude that it is useful for how the Romans remembered the creation of the code and the dangers of unchecked power, but its moral framing and distance mean it is not a neutral record; judge value for the enquiry.
Related dot points
- The early Republic and the Conflict of the Orders: the division between patricians and plebeians, the first secession of the plebs in 494 BC and the creation of the tribunes of the plebs, and the plebeians' struggle for legal and political rights, studied through Livy.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the early Republic and the Conflict of the Orders, covering the division between patricians and plebeians, the first secession of the plebs in 494 BC and the creation of the tribunes of the plebs, and the plebeians' struggle for legal and political rights, studied through Livy.
- The fall of the monarchy and the founding of the Republic: the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus, the rape of Lucretia and the expulsion of the kings in 509 BC, the creation of the two annual consuls, and the new Republican constitution, studied through Livy.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the fall of the Roman monarchy and the founding of the Republic, covering the tyranny of Tarquinius Superbus, the rape of Lucretia and the expulsion of the kings in 509 BC, the creation of the two annual consuls and the new constitution, and how to use Livy's dramatic narrative critically.
- The regal period and the seven kings of Rome: the contributions of Numa, Tullus Hostilius, Ancus Marcius and the Etruscan kings (Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus), the reforms of Servius Tullius, and the influence of the Etruscans on early Rome, studied through Livy.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History answer on the regal period and the seven kings of Rome, covering the contributions of Numa, Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Marcius, the Etruscan kings Tarquinius Priscus, Servius Tullius and Tarquinius Superbus, the reforms of Servius Tullius, and the influence of the Etruscans on early Rome, studied through Livy.
- The prescribed sources for the Foundations of Rome period study: Livy as the main literary narrative (and the problem of a moralising author writing centuries later), Dionysius of Halicarnassus as a parallel Greek account, and the archaeological evidence for early Rome, and how to weigh later literary tradition against material evidence.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History guide to the prescribed sources for the Foundations of Rome period study, explaining how to use Livy as the main literary narrative (and the problem of a moralising author writing centuries later), Dionysius of Halicarnassus as a parallel Greek account, and the archaeological evidence for early Rome, and how to weigh later literary tradition against material evidence.
- The AO3 source skills: making supported inferences from a source, comparing two sources, and judging how useful a source is for a stated enquiry using content, provenance (nature, origin and purpose) and contextual knowledge, rather than labelling a source reliable or biased.
An OCR GCSE Ancient History skills guide to the AO3 source questions, explaining how to make supported inferences, compare two sources, and judge how useful a source is for a stated enquiry using content, provenance and contextual knowledge, with a method that transfers across the Greek and Roman options.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR GCSE (9-1) Ancient History J198 specification — OCR (2017)
- Livy, Ab Urbe Condita, Book 3 — Perseus Digital Library