Talk:Twelve Tables

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How tall and wide were the Twelve Tables?

Wasn't there some law or prophecies in Rome that fell from the sky (shields)? Maybe they were twelve. Anyway, that's what I expected when finding the article? -- Error

The incident with shields falling from the sky had to do with Mars, king Numa Pompilius, and the Salii priesthood. Mars made a shield fall from the sky that had a prophecy for the future greatness of Rome written on it, supposedly. The king had eleven matching shields made and used them to found the Salian priesthood. This took place well before the Twelve Tables, which were made during the Republican period. -- IHCOYC


The translations seem to be too literal to be of interest to the average reader . . . I don't have access to a full translation of the Twelve Tables, but if someone who does wants to revise, that would be nice. UnDeadGoat 23:09, 3 December 2005 (UTC)

On removing the comparison to Wikipedia: I am not one of those who believes that encyclopedic is a synonym for dull, but since I made the comparison in the first place I will let others decide whether or not it should be reinstated. I would like to note that the most important part of the reason for the comparison was omitted from the comment field when the comparison was removed: "bring forward for public discussion any additions or subtractions which seemed desirable". Rick Norwood 14:15, 12 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] sesterces??

I do not understand where the word sesterces in the translation comes from. I don't see the word in the in the latin, and suspect it is anachronistic. I think the first sestertii were silver coins worth 2.5 asses minted after the sack of Syracuse during Punic War I (eg. Crawford 44/7).

Lex Aternia Tarpeia of 454 BC apparently provides value conversions from the traditional oxen and sheep to asses (100 asses = 1 oxen, 10 asses = 1 sheep, 1 as is a pound of bronze; see, eg, wikipedia aes rude) (Cicero De Republica II 60). The twelve tables are older than this, so I think these should these numbers should refer to oxen or sheep.

This law in turn was followed by the Lex Iulia Papiria of 430 BC which re-tariffed the bronze to such an extent that the use of cattle was discontinued (Livy.4.30.3).

Curtius 00:59, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] More, but easy-to-understand info?

I suggest that under each of the rules, there should be some explanation as to why some people believe it was passed and possibly some more explanation about the tablets and how they were found and what else is known about them. I also suggest that there be a *remove hyperlinks* option. The hyperlinks can get very agitating when someone is trying to write a report. I suggest having all hyperlinks in a special spot on the bottom and the top of the article. Snick! 23:55, 6 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Nietzsche quote?

Hi, I was just wondering if there are any interested Classics scholars here, Nietzsche alludes to the Twelve Tables (Genealogy II 5) saying "si plus minusve secuerunt, ne fraude esto", 'if they have cut off more or less, let that not be considered a crime'. This is meant to be in Table 3, section 6. Is this an omission? 131.111.200.200 (talk) 18:59, 7 May 2008 (UTC)