2nddecimviratesocrgcse.0

Who led the second Decemvirate elected in 450 BC?

Appius Claudius (re-elected and now dominant)

Why was a second board of Decemvirs needed?

To complete the final two tables of law after the first board published ten

How many men served on the second Decemvirate?

Ten (including Appius Claudius and his supporters)

What happened immediately after the second Decemvirs took office?

They refused to resign at the end of the year and ruled as tyrants

What key change occurred under the second Decemvirs?

All normal magistrates (consuls and tribunes) remained suspended

How did Livy describe the rule of the second Decemvirate?

Arrogant, cruel and tyrannical – especially Appius Claudius

What personal crime did Appius Claudius commit that destroyed the Decemvirate?

He lusted after the beautiful plebeian girl Verginia

Who was Verginia’s father?

Verginius, a centurion and respected plebeian soldier

How did Appius Claudius try to seize Verginia?

He arranged for his client Marcus Claudius to claim she was the daughter of a slave and therefore his property

Where did the false claim about Verginia take place?

In the Forum while Verginius was away on campaign

What did Verginius do when he rushed back to Rome?

He publicly stabbed his daughter Verginia to death in the Forum to save her from slavery and dishonour

What exact words did Verginius cry out as he killed Verginia?

“This is the only way I can keep you free, my daughter!”

What immediate result followed Verginia’s death?

The plebeians and soldiers were filled with horror and rage

Where did the plebeians secede to in the second secession?

The Aventine Hill

What made the second secession more dangerous than the first?

The Roman army joined the plebeians and refused to fight for the Decemvirs

What did the soldiers do while camped on the Aventine?

They elected their own military tribunes and demanded the restoration of consuls and tribunes

How did the Senate respond to the crisis?

They forced the Decemvirs to resign and restored the normal Republic

What happened to Appius Claudius after the Decemvirs fell?

He was imprisoned and committed suicide before trial

Who brought the formal indictment against Appius Claudius?

The restored tribunes of the plebs

What was the main charge against Appius Claudius?

Tyranny and the abuse of power (especially the Verginia affair)

What final political change ended the Decemvirate?

New consuls (Lucius Valerius and Marcus Horatius) were elected and tribunes restored

What happened to the remaining nine Decemvirs?

Most were exiled or fined; only Appius died by suicide

When were the final two tables of law published?

Immediately after the Decemvirs resigned

Where were all twelve tables finally displayed?

Engraved on bronze and set up permanently in the Forum

What long-term result came from the second Decemvirate’s fall?

The Republic was restored with stronger protections for the plebeians

Why did the second Decemvirs refuse to resign?

They enjoyed absolute power and wanted to keep it

How did Appius Claudius change from the first to the second Decemvirate?

From moderate and just to arrogant and lustful

What sacred right was suspended under the second Decemvirs?

The right of provocatio (appeal to the people)

What military consequence forced the Senate to act?

Rome was left undefended while the army seceded

How did Verginius prove Verginia was free-born?

He showed witnesses and documents in the Forum before killing her

What did the plebeians shout after Verginia’s death?

“Down with the Decemvirs! Restore the tribunes and consuls!”

Why is the Verginia story the turning point in Livy?

It showed the Decemvirs had become worse tyrants than the Tarquins

What reform did the new consuls Valerius and Horatius immediately pass?

Laws protecting the rights of the plebs and confirming the power of the tribunes

What title did the full code of laws receive?

The Twelve Tables

Why did the plebeians demand the Decemvirs’ resignation?

They feared permanent tyranny and loss of all liberty

What personal fate did Appius Claudius suffer in prison?

He took his own life to avoid public execution

How did Livy portray the second Decemvirate overall?

As a warning that even good institutions can turn into tyranny if power is not checked

What was the direct cause of the second plebeian secession?

The murder of Verginia by her father to prevent her enslavement

Why did the army join the second secession?

The soldiers were outraged by the injustice to one of their own (Verginius)

What long-term political lesson did the fall of the second Decemvirate teach?

Absolute power without checks leads to abuse and must be limited by law and magistrates

Who completed and published the final two tables?

The restored consuls after the Decemvirs resigned

What was the people’s reaction when the Twelve Tables were finally complete?

They celebrated the end of arbitrary rule and the birth of written law for all Romans