Papyrus

The most important writing material of antiquity until the first centuries of the Christian era was papyrus, which the Greeks had acquired from the Egyptians at a time unknown to us and which the Romans in turn took over from the Greeks. It is made from the vertically ribbed pith of the triangular papyrus stalk. Egypt possessed a virtual monopoly of its production. It was normally used in the form of rolls. To produce a roll pieces measuring on average 25 χ 19 cm were made by laying strips of papyrus side-by-side. Across these strips a second layer was laid at right angles; the two layers were then pressed together. These nearly square pieces were pasted together end to end to form a roll in such a way that all ribs running in the same direction were on the same side. The first piece of a roll is called the ‘protocol’, the last the ‘eschatacol’.

The side with the horizontal ribs was chosen to receive the script because it was easier to write on; it is called the ‘recto’ side, and forms the inner side of the roll. Writers in antiquity attest to the fact that writing could be washed off papyrus. When the first text had lost its importance or meaning for the owner the verso of many rolls (or parts of rolls) received different texts, frequently in a different language; this is called an ‘opistograph’.