The manual is split into two volumes. Vol. 1 prioritizes the reading and understanding of Roman cursive and the documents in which it is found. Vol. 2 provides an overview and catalogue of Roman writing implements, the main writing materials and accessories, and information about archaeological finds, photographs, drawings, and literary and iconographic testimony. It also presents a commentary on the social aspects of literacy and writing.The Roman script used in everyday texts in Latin can seem like a mysterious code, whose secrets are only revealed to a select few. The script is Roman cursive, different from the more immediately familiar capital letters and is in fact the commonest writing in many types of text other than the so-called ‘monumental’ inscriptions on bronze and stone. Capital letters in Latin are easy for us to read since they are similar to our modern forms, whereas cursive requires specialised expertise, acquired by training and practice. It is traditionally classified into two types: Old Roman Cursive (ORC), attested primarily during the first three centuries CE, and New Roman Cursive (NRC), dominant from c. 300 CE.