Uncovering the Mystery of Hierogrammata: A Lost Punctuation Mark of Ancient Greek Manuscripts

Hierogrammate is a term that was used in the past to describe a type of letter or character that was used in ancient Greek manuscripts. It refers to a symbol that was used to indicate a break in the text, similar to a paragraph mark or an em dash.

In ancient Greek manuscripts, hierogrammata were used to indicate a pause in the text, such as at the end of a sentence or a section. They were often written in the margin of the page and looked like a series of dots or dashes. The term "hierogrammate" is derived from the Greek words "hieros," meaning "sacred," and "gramma," meaning "letter."

Today, the term "hierogrammate" is not commonly used, and the concept of hierogrammata has been largely replaced by other punctuation marks and formatting techniques. However, the study of ancient Greek manuscripts and the use of hierogrammata in these texts remains an important area of research for scholars of classical Greek literature and paleography.