The Development and Adoption of the Codex
Start Date
2023 3:00 PM
Location
Alter Hall 302
Abstract
In my thesis, I examine the development and adoption of the codex as a form of book, exploring why the codex was able to replace the scroll in only a few centuries. In my first chapter, I examine the development and early uses of the codex format. The codex descends from the wooden tablet and parchment notebooks, and I examine the uses of these and how they impacted the adoption of the codex. I then look at early uses of the codex, particularly Martial, who provides the earliest mention of the codex. In the second chapter, I discuss why Christians took up the codex, as their usage stands apart from all other groups in the ancient world, and how a unique Christian literary culture helped to facilitate the spread of the codex. In the final chapter, I explore how the codex spread in the third and fourth centuries, both through the expansion of Christianity and through new non-Christian users. In this section, I also detail the practical advantages of the codex, which are key to its adoption.
The Development and Adoption of the Codex
Alter Hall 302
In my thesis, I examine the development and adoption of the codex as a form of book, exploring why the codex was able to replace the scroll in only a few centuries. In my first chapter, I examine the development and early uses of the codex format. The codex descends from the wooden tablet and parchment notebooks, and I examine the uses of these and how they impacted the adoption of the codex. I then look at early uses of the codex, particularly Martial, who provides the earliest mention of the codex. In the second chapter, I discuss why Christians took up the codex, as their usage stands apart from all other groups in the ancient world, and how a unique Christian literary culture helped to facilitate the spread of the codex. In the final chapter, I explore how the codex spread in the third and fourth centuries, both through the expansion of Christianity and through new non-Christian users. In this section, I also detail the practical advantages of the codex, which are key to its adoption.
