Before the Twelve Tables, who primarily interpreted Roman law?

Before the Twelve Tables, who primarily interpreted Roman law?

• A. Plebeians
• B. Patricians
• C. Slaves
• D. Foreigners

Answer: (B)

In the early Roman system, law existed as customary rules handed down through generations and was interpreted by the patrician elite who controlled the religious offices and magistracies. Because patricians held most political and religious power and there was no formal, written code yet, they shaped and applied the law through their authority, using the mos maiorum as a guide. Plebeians and others had little access to legal knowledge or official channels, so legal interpretation effectively rested with the patricians. The Twelve Tables later codified the laws and made them more publicly accessible, reducing the patricians’ exclusive interpretive power.

In the early Roman system, law existed as customary rules handed down through generations and was interpreted by the patrician elite who controlled the religious offices and magistracies. Because patricians held most political and religious power and there was no formal, written code yet, they shaped and applied the law through their authority, using the mos maiorum as a guide. Plebeians and others had little access to legal knowledge or official channels, so legal interpretation effectively rested with the patricians. The Twelve Tables later codified the laws and made them more publicly accessible, reducing the patricians’ exclusive interpretive power.