The Twelve Tables Essay

Rome becomes a Republic in 510 B.C.E after overthrowing the Etruscans, and at the same time the Athenians were in a Revolution. Rich patricians ran the Senate and the courts, their votes counted more than the lower class. Both men and women were citizens, but only men could vote and the lower class were still able to participate in voting but counted less than the wealthy class. In 449 B.C.E., the government leaders made their laws into 12 great tablets, which were carved onto them. The Twelve Tables were their first laws put in writing, the laws guaranteed every citizen equal treatment under the law, but to some people in this time might seem bad or cruel. The Romans invited people from the places they conquered to become citizens. These people then became a part of Rome and had equal rights. The Romans also had wars going on, when they fought the Carthaginians which almost led them to

He sent armies to battle the barbarians who had taken control in the West, and his Roman armies were very successful taking back parts of Africa and most of Italy. The plague originated in China and northeast India, and was carried to the Great Lakes region of Africa by overland and sea trade routes. Egypt was the main point of the plague for the Justinians. The expansion of the plague was caused by black rats. War and trade helped in the spread of the disease throughout the Byzantine Empire. Justinian spent years of his reign battling Ostrogoths for control over Italy. He fought Vandals and Berbers for control in North Africa, and fending off Franks, Slavs, Avars, and other barbarian tribes that were in raids against the empire. Constantinople doubled as the center of commercial trade for the empire, and the capital’s location along the Black and Aegean seas crossroads were trading routes from China, the Middle East, and North