punishment in the twelve tables

CL 132: History of Rome
1. Punishment in the Twelve Tables

The Twelve Tables (449 BCE) was the first written law of Rome. Its creation emphasized and was an extension of structure and regulation in Roman society. To enforce its laws, severe yet simple punishments exist within the Twelve Tables. (In most cases, citizens observe law only in the presence of its consequences.) Because the severity of illegal behavior varies (for instance from theft to murder), the Twelve Tables includes different forms of punishment to inflict upon lawbreakers. Penalties in the Twelve Tables are logically formulated and incorporate a system of values reflecting Roman society.
The fact that Romans organized their law in a written document indicates a more deeply rooted societal organization. There are twenty-six separate punishments written into the Twelve Tables. Each is described in detail and falls into at least one of six categories of punishment: corporal abuse, capital punishment, enslave...