Capital Script

(also called monumental script), the most ancient variety of the Latin alphabet. Inscriptions have been found dating from the sixth to the fourth century B.C. It attained its final form by the first century A.D.

Capital script is majuscule, with no spaces between words; the spaces are sometimes replaced by dots. Book capital script is characterized by rounded lines. Rustic capital script (fourth to seventh century A.D.) was less strict in form and had a number of variations (Roman ornamental or book rustic script). In the early second century A.D., book capital script was superseded by the uncial and cursive. The outlines of capital Latin letters form the basis of the capital letters of the Latin typeface.