Question

Rome's Twelve Tables are a set of ancient laws at the foundation of Roman law. They formed the basis of the constitution of the Roman Republic (509-44 BCE). Originally, the Republic's laws were kept secret, which allowed people of the upper classes to punish plebeians (a member of the lower-class) for almost anything. Several plebeians finally convinced the Republic's leaders that laws should be written down for all to see, and the leaders agree to create the Twelve Tables.

The Twelve Tables are a lot like the United States' Bill of Rights. They didn't list all of the laws or every right that a person had; they just included the major ones. The laws were strict and included some extremely harsh penalties, so it was good that people finally knew what they could be punished for. Many scholars believe that the laws were written in rhyme so that every Roman could remember them. Scholars aren't positive about this, however, because the original tables themselves were destroyed during an invasion of Rome. What survive are brief excerpts quoted by other authors.

Rome’s Twelve Tables
Choose one option
A
were kept secret from plebeians so that they could be punished for almost anything.
B
said that members of the upper class could not be punished for any crime.
C
were largely inspired by the Roman Republic’s constitution.
D
listed the major laws of the Roman Republic and the rights of its citizens

Answer 1

D

The passage says the Twelve Tables "didn't list all of the laws or every right...; they just included the major ones," so they listed the major laws and rights of Roman citizens.