Category Archives: Book Trade in Antiquity

Buying Papyrus in Roman Antiquity

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Brent Nongbri

I recently came across the reference in Theodor Birt that reminded me of an old problem. After a description of the production of papyrus sheets, Birt states that “the resulting sheets were sold individually (Die so entstandenen Blätter kamen einzeln … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Trade in Antiquity, Codices | 4 Comments

Buying Books in Rome circa 86 CE

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Brent Nongbri

The surviving writings of the satirical poet Martial provide a number of insights into Roman book culture. He has been an especially important figure in discussions of the history of the codex, as he mentions on multiple occasions portable parchment … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Trade in Antiquity, Martial | 6 Comments