Roman forged iron stylus
Stylus? What is that supposed to be now?
The word stylus is derived from the Greek word "grapheion" and means something like "thing for writing" and that is exactly what it is. The stylus has a long tradition and has been in use more or less continuously since the invention and establishment of writing.
They were and are made of either metal, hardwood or bone. It is important that they are harder than the material to be written on.
But grapheion is Greek ...
That's right, and it's only the original term from which today's German word is derived. A Roman called his writing utensil "Stilus" - if you look at the shape and appearance of the stylus, it is easy to see where the German word "Stil" originated.
Many stili have survived from archaeological sources. Some are elaborately carved from ivory, others are almost indistinguishable from branches. But all of them served for writing on small wax tablets. Because that was the most used writing surface in the ancient world.
- length 12cm
- hand forged
- each piece is unique
With stylus and wax tablet
Wax tablets were cheaper to produce in antiquity than paper or rather papyrus and were therefore very popular. They could also be written on several times by rubbing the scratched wax surface flat again with the back of the stylus. But styluses are also well suited for writing on stone, wood and metal plates, depending on their hardness.
A piece of living history
A stylus may not look like much at first, but this beautifully crafted and solidly made example of one offers more than just its weight in iron. It offers one the opportunity to feel it like a Roman school child, a Roman official, or even a Roman poet. You get a completely different feel for each word you write when you create it with a stylus rather than a pen.
That's why this writing instrument is a must-have for anyone who not only wants to look at the ancient world, but experience it.
Forum Traiani ® registered trademark
