Roman+Law

= =  **//Culture of Rome//** Rome started as a small city. The Romans all had different customs and there was no need for strict authority in the laws. To understand the reason why the laws started to form, we have to understand the culture and priorities of Rome. Rome was a polytheistic community. Their major economic stability mainly came from farming during this period. The farms were controlled by the Patricians and some Plebeians. Both groups used slaves to farm the land. Issues started to arise with the non-Romans wanting to know their individual rights. This gave way to the start of Roman law.

** //Early Laws// **

Laws of Rome were not even really laws they were more of a code based on centuries of customs that were created by the early Romans. These customary codes were called ius. The early Romans believed the ius was an inherited part of their society from other Romans. And, since it only applied to them, it was then called ius civile, or civil law. However, with the growth of Rome’s power the Romans had to account for other non-Romans. A new way of governing and law making began to form. A committee of ten men was established to record the new civil rights. These rights turned out to be the Twelve Tables.

** //Later Laws// ** The expansion of laws to include non-Romans cause the development of jus gentium, or laws dealing with the non-Romans, to be added to jus civile, or laws for Romans. Jus gentium ended up being better adapted to change in the growing economy, so it eventually replaced jus civile. The new principles led to jus honorarium, or the law of praetors. Praetors are the head of the roman government. Jus honorarium required the praetor to announce the principles that would govern his decisions upon being elected. Jus gentium started to use councils to help make the decisions for Rome. This was the birth of the republic.

** //Relation to Laws Today// ** Twelve Tables and Cirpus Iuris Civilis are like the bill of rights. It states the individual rights of the people. The Jus gentium is the basis of lots of commercial laws that are used around the world. Lex Hortensia was one of the documents that helped write the Constitution of The United States.