# Chapter 1: Antiquity

## Antiquity

The idea of writing on a portable flat surface goes back a very long time - thousands of years.

We know from archaeological records, and from the writings of ancient authors such as Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC), that Romans wrote on a wax tablet, called a tabula, with a stylus.

Here's an image from Wikipedia showing what some of these tablets look like. Basically, it consisted of a wooden frame with some wax on the surface. Note that there are two tablets joined together to form a unit.

The Romans did not have modern paper, but instead used papyrus, which is similar. It is unclear how expensive papyrus was ([see this SE question on the cost](https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/45700/what-did-parchment-and-papyrus-cost-in-the-roman-empire)), but in any case, it's easy to see why wax tablets were useful because they relied on everyday materials and could be erased and reused.

<figure><img src="/files/wyBsxxbzdZslRJs5EJqU" alt="" width="375"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

An even earlier image from Wikipedia shows a vase painting by Douris from around 500 BC depicting a man using a wax tablet, stylus in hand. Humorously and anachronistically, it does look like someone using a laptop :-)

<figure><img src="/files/OPKrBz12rrsCgPnCOJpj" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Here, from [Douris and the Painters of Greek Vases by Edmond Pottier](https://www.gutenberg.org/files/61034/61034-h/61034-h.htm), you can see a schoolmaster depicted with a stylus and wax tablets.

<figure><img src="/files/oPq0MBGA9yiwKeeMmuC9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


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