Expert: Maria - 10/30/2009

Question
I am actually looking for how the letters were written in the 3rd or 4th century BC.  Can you refer me to  a site where I can see the actual way the characters were written?

Many thanks,

Answer
Hello,

the actual way the  Latin characters were written  in the 4th century / 3rd century  B.C.  is just the Old Latin alphabet, also called Early Latin or Archaic Latin, as I wrote in my previous answer, i.e. the following:

A B C D E F Z H I K L M N O P Q R S T VX    (21 capital letters)

A b c d e f z h I k l m n o p q r s t v x   (21 small letters).


For example, you can see these  characters used in three inscriptions which date back to the 4th century / 3rd century  BC.

Here they are:

1- The Law of the Twelve Tables (Lex Duodecim Tabularum), i.e. the ancient Roman legislation (from 449 BC onwards).
See at http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~harsch/Chronologia/Lsante05/LegesXII/leg_ta01.html

2-The epitaph of Lucius Cornelius Scipio (consul 259 BC). See at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sepolcro_scipioni,_iscrizione_B,_lucio_corneli...

3-The epitaph of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus (c. 280 BC).
See at http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/22/Scipio-tomb.jpg


As for a website where you can see the Old Latin alphabet, I’m sorry, but there is no site I can suggest.

Best regards,
Maria