Page 115 - Manual of Roman Everyday Writing Volume 2: Writing Equipment

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finished paper, since you say you could hardly read my last of lime wood cut into thin sheets with two hinged pieces that
letter. No, my dear fellow, it was for none of the reasons close together) and wrote down the names of those who would
you suppose. I was neither busy nor upset nor annoyed with be executed that night
anybody. It’s just that I always take the first pen that comes to (Transl. C. R. Whittaker, Loeb)
hand as though it was a good one. Herodotus 7.239:
(Transl. D. R. Shackleton Bailey, Loeb)
ἐπείτε γὰρ Ξέρξῃ ἔδοξε στρατηλατέειν ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλλάδα, ἐὼν ἐν Σούσοισι
Edict of Diocletian 7.38: ὁ Δημάρητος καὶ πυθόμενος ταῦτα ἠθέλησε Λακεδαιμονίοισι ἐξαγγεῖλαι.
Membranario in [qua]t<erni>one pedali pergamen[i vel] croca[ti] D ἄλλως μὲν δὴ οὐκ εἶχε σημῆναι· ἐπικίνδυνον γὰρ ἦν μὴ λαμφθείη· ὃ δὲ
XL. μηχανᾶται τοιάδε· δελτίον δίπτυχον λαβὼν τὸν κηρὸν αὐτοῦ ἐξέκνησε,
For a parchment maker for making a one-foot quaternion of καὶ ἔπειτα ἐν τῷ ξύλῳ τοῦ δελτίου ἔγραψε τὴν βασιλέος γνώμην, ποιήσας
white or yellow parchment: 40 Denarii. δὲ ταῦτα ὀπίσω ἐπέτηξε τὸν κηρὸν ἐπὶ τὰ γράμματα, ἵνα φερόμενον
(Transl. A. Willi) κεινὸν τὸ δελτίον μηδὲν πρῆγμα παρέχοι πρὸς τῶν ὁδοφυλάκων.
Xerxes being resolved to march against Hellas, Demaratus,
Edict of Diocletian 10.17: who was then at Susa and had knowledge of this, desired to
Thecam cannarum n. quinque D XL. send word of it to the Lacedaemonians. But he feared to be
For a case for five reed pens: 40 Denarii. detected, and had no other way of acquainting them than this
(Transl. A. Willi)
trick:—taking a double tablet, he scraped away the wax from it,
Herodas, Mimes 3.14–18: and then wrote the king’s intent on the wood; which done, he
κἠ μέν τάλαινα δέλτος, ἢν ἐγὼ κάμνω / κηροῦσ᾿ ἐκάστου μηνός, ὀρφανὴ melted the wax back again over the writing, so that the bearer
κεῖται / πρὸ τῆς χαμεύνης τοῦ ἐπὶ τοῖχον ἐρμῖνος, / ἢν μήκοτ᾿ αὐτὴν οἶον of the tablet thus left blank might not be troubled by the way-
Ἀίδην βλέψας / γράψηι μὲν οὐδὲν καλόν, ἐκ δ᾿ ὄληνξύσηι· wardens.
The wretched tablet, which I tire myself out waxing each month, (Trans. A. D. Godley, Loeb)
lies orphaned before the bed-post next the wall, except when Horace, Epistles 1.20.1-3:
he looks at it as if it were Hades and writes nothing good but Vertumnum Ianumque, liber, spectare videris, / scilicet ut prostes
scrapes it all smooth. Sosiorum pumice mundus. / odisti clavis et grata sigilla pudico (…).
(Transl. J. Rusten, I. C. Cunningham, Loeb)
You seem, my book, to be looking wistfully toward Vertumnus
Herodian 1.17.1: and Janus in order, forsooth, that you may go on sale, neatly
ὁ δὲ Κόμοδος ἀσχάλλων τοὺς μὲν ἀπεπέμψατο, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπανελθὼν ἐς τὸ polished with the pumice of the Sosii. You hate the keys and
δωμάτιον ὡς δὴ καθευδήσων (καὶ γὰρ μεσημβρίας εἰώθει τοῦτο ποιεῖν), seals so dear to the modest (…).
λαβὼν γραμματεῖον τούτων δὴ τῶν ἐκ φιλύρας ἐς λεπτότητα ἠσκημένων (Transl. H. Rushton Fairclough, Loeb)
ἐπαλλήλῳ τε ἀνακλάσει ἀμφοτέρωθεν ἐπτυγμένων γράφει, ὅσους χρὴ τῆς Horace, Epistles 2.1.111–113:
νυκτὸς φονευθῆναι. Ipse ego, qui nullos me adfirmo scribere versus, / invenior Parthis
Commodus in a fury dismissed the two men and retired to his mendacior, et prius orto / sole vigil calamum et chartas et scrinia posco.
room as though he were going to take his usual mid-day siesta. I myself, who declare that I write no verses, prove to be more of
But instead he took up a writing tablet (one of the kind made out