TĂBŬLAE

This word properly means planks or boards, whence it is applied to several objects, as gaming-tables, pictures, but more especially to tablets used for writing. Generally, tabulae and tabellae signify waxen tablets ( tabulae ceratae ), which were thin pieces of wood, usually of an oblong shape, covered over with wax ( cera ). The wax was written on by means of the stilus. These tabulae were sometimes made of ivory and citron-wood, but generally of the wood of a more common tree, as the beech, fir, . The outer sides of the tablets consisted merely of the wood; it was only the inner sides that were covered over with wax. They were fastened together at the back by means of wires, which answered the purpose of hinges, so that they opened and shut like our books; and to prevent the wax of one tablet nibbing against the wax of the other, there was a raised margin around each, as is clearly seen in the woodcut on p. 354 . There were sometimes two, three, four, five, or even more, tablets fastened together in the above-mentioned manner. Two such tablets were called diptych a ( δίπτυχα ), which merely means “twice-folded” (from πτύσσω , “to fold”), whence we have πτυκτίον , or with the τ omitted, πυκτίον . The Latin word pugil lares , which is the name frequently given to tablets covered with wax, may perhaps be connected with the same root, though it is usually derived from pugillus , because they were small enough to be held in the hand. Three tablets fastened together were called triptych a ; in the same way we also read of pentaptycha , and of polyptych a or multiplices ( cerae ). The pages of these tablets were frequently called by the name of cerae alone; thus we read of prima cera , alter a cera , “first page,” “second page.” In tablets containing important legal documents, especially wills, the outer edges were pierced through with holes ( foramina ), through which a triple thread ( linum ) was pa ed, and upon which a seal was then placed. This was intended to guard against forgery, and if it was not done such documents were null and void. Waxen tablets were used among the Romans for almost every species of writing, where great length was not required. Thus letters were frequently written upon them, which were secured by being fastened together with packthread and sealed with wax. Legal documents, and especially wills, were almost always written on waxen tablets. Such tablets were also used for accounts, in which a person entered what he received and expended ( tabulae or codex accept i et expensi ), whence novae tabulae mean an abolition of debts either wholly or in part. The tablets used in voting in the comitia and the courts of justice were also called tabulae, as well as tabellae. [ Tabella . ]