The Interplay of Majuscule and Minuscule in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Inscriptions and the Role of Materiality

Most Greek inscriptions from the Byzantine and post-Byzantine periods were executed in majuscule script. The forms remained highly conservative over the centuries, which makes these inscriptions difficult to date in the absence of other chronological indicators. The use of minuscule letters was—unsurprisingly—much less common. Beginning in the 9th century, the minuscule script came into regular use in manuscripts as a result of the systematic metacharakterismos (change of script). It subsequently appeared not only in painted inscriptions—where the technique of painting made the script easier to execute—but also in stone inscriptions. In these cases, we often find an interplay between majuscule and minuscule scripts, without a fixed rule governing the choice of one over the other. When considering the use of minuscule script, one should not overlook the close relationship between epigraphic and manuscript cultures. Particularly in the late and post-Byzantine periods, certain dedicatory and donor inscriptions closely resemble the handwriting of scribes working on manuscripts. This presentation will examine several examples of inscriptions combining majuscule and minuscule scripts, with particular attention to their material aspects. Questions regarding the motivations for choosing one script form over the other will also be explored.