Editing Calligraphy (section)

=== Ancient Rome  ===
The [[Latin alphabet]] appeared about 600 BCE in [[ancient Rome]], and by the first century CE it had developed into [[Roman imperial capitals]] carved on stones, [[rustic capitals]] painted on walls, and [[Roman cursive]] for daily use. In the second and third centuries the [[uncial]] lettering style developed. As writing withdrew to monasteries, uncial script was found more suitable for copying the [[Bible]] and other religious texts. It was the monasteries which preserved calligraphic traditions during the fourth and fifth centuries, when the Roman Empire fell and Europe entered the [[early Middle Ages]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Sabard |first1=V. |title=Calligraphie latine: Initiation |publisher=Fleurus |last2=Geneslay |first2= V. |last3=Rébéna |first3=L. |year=2004 |isbn=978-2-215-02130-8 |edition=7th |location=Paris |pages=8–11 |language=fr |trans-title=Latin calligraphy: Introduction}}</ref>

At the height of the [[Roman Empire]], its power reached as far as Great Britain; when the empire fell, its literary influence remained. The [[Semi-uncial]] generated the Irish Semi-uncial, the small Anglo-Saxon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Insular Manuscripts: Paleography, Section 6: Language on the Page in Insular Manuscripts, Layout and Legibility |website=Virtual Hill Museum & Manuscript Library |url=https://www.vhmml.org/school/lesson/insular-paleography/layout |access-date=30 May 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181119121501/https://www.vhmml.org/school/lesson/insular-paleography/layout |archive-date= Nov 19, 2018 }}</ref> Each region developed its own standards following the main monastery of the region (i.e. [[Merovingian script]], [[Merovingian script#Laon|Laon script]], [[Merovingian script#Luxeuil|Luxeuil script]], [[Visigothic script]], [[Beneventan script]]), which are mostly cursive and hardly readable{{Opinion|date=October 2024}}{{Clarification needed|reason=If this text is "hardly readable" due to wear and tear, then the opinion superscript could be removed. However, if it is referring to the general style, then "hardly readable" should be removed as it is stating the author's opinion on the legibility of the script.|date=October 2024}}.