5-4-15

• fifth century BCE - patrician dominance of the government was challenged by the plebs (“people”)
• plebs were 98% of the population
• how did the patricians dominate?
• plebs had to serve in the army, but could not hold office
• plebs were threatened with debt slavery
• plebs had no legal rights
• plebs refused to serve in the military until…
• tribunes (“tribal leaders”) were elected  
• these laws (on tablets) were posted in public (in 450 BCE)
• laws were written out (The Law of the Twelve Tables)
• originally, the US modeled their new government on the model used by the ancient Romans
• is it exactly the same?  not quite…
• but both have three branches of government... executive, legislative, judicial and both have a legal code