The Triumph of the Codex: The Manuscript Book before 1100

The Triumph of the Codex: The Manuscript Book before 1100

Summary:

            During the rise of the Codex papyrus scrolls were popular at the time.  Scrolls were used as formal literary, and sets of wooden or wax tablets for informal and pragmatic uses.  A very early example of scrolls were used to hold the Psalms which was most likely scribed by a Priest who most likely used it for memorization purposes.  With the rise of religious literature and the rise of Christianity you then see the codex come to being.  Christians used the codex at an early stage to present the bible.  They used the codex because the book was no longer considered a cheap alternative and was not favored by the underclass anymore but now seen as a sacred text within a powerful religion.  The Christian church did not want to use a scroll because the Judaic Torah was already on a scroll.  The power of the codex and writing was reinforced by the nature of the book in a religious context.  It was able to represent more then a book for Christians and was symbol of their religion.  The rulers at the time used printed books to show power and present to the masses what they wanted the citizens to know.  With the greater use of the codex you see the progression of the alphabet and the way words were written.  You see the adaptation of the Greek alphabet and the use of spaces between words along with the use of upper and lower case letters. 

            Once religious books became popular rulers at the time saw that this was where literature was heading towards and away from the scroll.  You then see a rise in the use of the codex to present other types of literature not just religious.  You see such books as Cicero’s Aratea. The symbolic role of the book, as well as it spiritual, educational, and scholarly value, was evident and revived. 

Comment:

            Reading this really made me realize how important the rise of the codex is on modern literature today.  This chapter really makes great points on how it started as a way to present religious information but stood for more then just the words on the paper.  It is a visual representation of power and solid word which is what people as a whole take books for as today.  They take them seriously and believe in what they say because of its religious beginnings. 

Question:

            If the codex did not rise to the status that it stands for today, where would literature stand.  How would we view literature and how would we be presented this information.  If the Christian church did not use it to present the Bible would it still have became popular and replaced the scroll?