Orality and Literacy in Greek and Roman Egypt

This exhibit shows the different levels of literacy that existed in the ancient world, from people barely able to write at all to professional scribes able to produce the most beautiful books. It also demonstrates the role of writing in a society where not many people were literate. Orality and Literacy in Greek and Roman Egypt brings together original documents from the University of Michigan Papyrus Collection that illustrate how written documents can help us reconstruct a spoken world.