Classical Literacy 700BCE-400CE
Classical period marked social distinction of writing
Trading Phoenicians spread scripts throughout Mediterranean region
400BCE monoline (aligned) script appears in Greek writing
403BCE Ionic Script becomes official Greek Alphabet
Schools were established in Athens teaching rhetorical skills
Graphic stability of Roman letterforms indicates stable power structure in society
bound notebooks and scrolls are becoming widely used
Ostraca- bits of discarded pottery = scratch paper
Milestones along roads with Roman decrees
Majascule - Upper Case Mina scule - lower case
We still use Roman Majascule to mark time
Tiro (Cicero's slave) invented shorthand to transcribe his master's speeches
ordinator provided guidelines, carver would chisel
Formal and informal scripts noted in this period
Two fonts were developed - gestural, cursive - handwriting for ephemeral purposes, done quickly
and intellectually constructed idealized letters following strict forms for official purposes absolute consistency
Serif - small crosslines at the ends of the strokes of a letter
First fonts created by carvers - signature fonts
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