Roman Printing

A lead pipe manufacturer during the end of the civil wars between Caesar and Pompey realizes that he can improve and vary his stamps of ownership and manufacture by devising individual letters and putting them together to form different patterns. News of this man’s successful enterprise eventually reaches Augustus, who steals the idea and reapplies it to his literary propaganda efforts. Since everything Augustan must have its basis in the past, printing is restricted to texts of traditional topics and deliberately associated with the (lost) Twelve Tables of Roman law. Soon the technology is known throughout the Empire. The Romans and Greeks eagerly adopt the practice, but many other nations regard this innovation as an ‘imperial’ matter. The Christians and the Jews, in particular, regard printing as a tool of the oppressor and therefore continue to copy their texts by hand. Printing is a state monopoly and inaccessible to most Christians. Since the imperial government holds a monopoly on printing, the new technology does not raise literacy levels or spread book knowledge further a-field to any great degree. Official monuments, however, are more accurately transcribed.

When Christianity finally becomes legal in 312, the Word of God begins to be printed. The Arians and the Nicenes use this technology in their war over the nature of Christ, while the Donatists reject the practice as ungodly. Constantine approves official 'Christian' Greek and Latin fonts.