A. The Twelve Tables were the first written collection of Roman laws. They were created in 449 BC and were displayed in the Roman Forum for all to see. The laws were engraved on twelve bronze tablets and covered a wide range of topics, including property rights, debt, and criminal law. The Twelve Tables were significant because they established the idea that all citizens were equal under the law and that the law should be written down and made public, rather than being the exclusive domain of the aristocracy.