WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -It was used as a reusable and portable writing surface in Antiquity and throughout the Middle Ages. Cicero’s letters make passing reference to the use of cerae, and some examples of wax-tablets have been preserved in waterlogged deposits in the Roman fort at Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall.

Detailed explanation-2: -Codex was the name given to wax tablets. This reusable type of book was supported by wood. So the Romans called it a ‘codex’, from the Latin word for tree trunk-caudex.

Detailed explanation-3: -The sharp end of an iron stylus was used to write, while the blunt end was heated over a flame and used to erase mistakes or smooth the wax for reuse.

Detailed explanation-4: -The Romans used a variety of tools for writing. Everyday writing could be done on wax tablets or thin leaves of wood. Documents, like legal contracts, were usually written in pen and ink on papyrus. Books were also written in pen and ink on papyrus or sometimes on parchment.