[ccmay]

Here it is: The Twelve Tables of Roman Law, c. 450 B.C.

Scroll down to Table VIII.

• 12. If the theft has been done by night, if the owner kills the thief, the thief shall be held to be lawfully killed.
• 13. It is unlawful for a thief to be killed by day....unless he defends himself with a weapon; even though he has come with a weapon, unless he shall use the weapon and fight back, you shall not kill him. And even if he resists, first call out so that someone may hear and come up.

Even on the Texas frontier, educated men in those days were quite familiar with Greek and Roman history. The men who wrote this law a hundred and fifty years ago probably read the Twelve Tables in the original Latin.

We should have kept this one too:

• 23. A person who had been found guilty of giving false witness shall be hurled down from the Tarpeian Rock.

They could have used Enchanted Rock in the Hill Country.

-ccm

[FreedomPoster]

Nicely done. Thanks.

[Rytwyng]

Good call on the 12 tables of the law. See post 131 for my Exodus quote on the same subject.