Chapter Large-Letter Displayed Writings on Portable Media: Indirect and Direct Evidence from Graeco-Roman and Late Antique Egypt

Overview & Synopsis

This chapter focuses on a formal feature of displayed writings on portable media from Egypt, in particular whitewashed wooden tablets and papyri, namely the use of large letters. By examining a series of case studies that indirectly or directly bear evidence of this kind of script and in the light of some new readings, I attempt to determine whether the use of large letters was influenced by document type and to what extent it fulfilled the need to improve the document’s readability and highlight certain parts of the text. Similarities to writings displayed on durable materials are also investigated.