Linen book

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The linen book (lat. Liber linteus ) is a book form of antiquity that has only little evidence .

The existence of Roman linen books is narrated by several ancient authors. The Roman historian Livy (59 BC - 17 AD) mentions that a Samnite priest was born in 293 BC. A sacrificial ritual was taken from an old linen book. Livy also reports that linen books have been found that were kept on the Capitol in Rome in the temple of Juno Moneta and that contained registers with the names of Roman officials from the early days. According to the Roman scholar Varro , the Sibylline books were also made of linen. Linen is apparently a writing material that was considered typical for venerable state and cult documents. Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) reports, however, that in ancient times private documents were also recorded on linen. Much later, the diaries of Emperor Aurelian (270–275 AD ) are referred to as libri lintei in the Historia Augusta (a Roman imperial story) . However, it is questionable whether they can be presented as linen books in the same sense. It has been suggested that the linen cover of a code could also be meant.

Linen books were also used by the Etruscans . On a stone sarcophagus (4th century BC) and an ash urn, linen books could be depicted. The interpretation of the objects shown remains uncertain. An original linen book in Etruscan language has been preserved. It is the longest Etruscan text known today. The 3.40 meter long strip of linen was preserved because it was reused as a mummy bandage (today in Zagreb : ' Agramer Mummy Bandage '). The linen strip is labeled in 12 columns of 24 centimeters wide and was probably folded like a fan-fold so that each column formed a page. The around 100 BC Written text is only partially understandable and describes a religious ritual.

literature

  • Horst Blanck: The book in antiquity . Beck, Munich 1992. ISBN 3-406-36686-4
  • Severin Corsten, Stephan Füssel, Friedrich Adolf Schmidt-Künsemüller (ed.): Lexicon of the entire book industry. Vol. 4. 2nd edition. Hiersemann, Stuttgart 1995. ISBN 3-7772-9501-9
  • Hubert Cancik , Helmuth Schneider (ed.): The new Pauly . Encyclopedia of Antiquity. Vol. 10. Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 1997, ISBN 3-476-01480-0
  • Hubert Cancik, Helmuth Schneider (ed.): The new Pauly. Encyclopedia of Antiquity. Vol. 7. Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 1999. ISBN 3-476-01477-0
  • Otto Mazal: Greco-Roman Antiquity. History of book culture. Vol. 1. Academic Printing and Publishing Company, Graz 1999. ISBN 3-201-01716-7