Born out of the Roman Square Capital script, Roman Rustic was a popular, functional book script, and had become the standard book script for the Empire until the medieval era.

2. Uncial - 3rd to 6th Century

This script represents wide and curved letters, which are considered to be easier and faster to write than straight lines and angles. Uncial was popular because it was a formal but quick script.

3. Artificial Uncial - 6th to the 10th Century

One of the most embellished and elaborate scripts, Artificial Uncial eventually became the basis for a display alphabet of capitals.

4. Roman Half Uncial - 3rd to 9th Century

Many of the roman half uncial styles were borrowed by other scripts, which followed it. It lasted for more than 50 years - from the 3rd to the 9th century, ending only when it was replaced by a cleaner, more uniform script.

5. Insular Majuscule - 6th to 9th Century

A combination of Irish Majuscule and Anglo-Saxon Majuscule, Insular Majuscule is born from the Anglo-Saxon scribes. By the 9th century, the script suffered from being too formal, and in the next 100 years, became obsolete.

6. Insular Miniscule - 6th Century on

Similar to the history of the Insular Majuscule script, Insular Miniscule is a combination of Irish Miniscule and Anglo-Saxon Miniscule. With the Norman conquest in 1066, Insular Miniscule died out. The Irish, however, continue to use the hand to this day, as the script for Gaelic.

7. Luxeuil Miniscule - 7th and 8th Century

Europe's first true calligraphic miniscule script, Luxeuil Miniscule was born from the Merovingian Charter Hand. The script died out when the monks at the Corbie Monastery in France transformed Luxeuil into their own distinct "Corbie" variations.

8. Carolingian Miniscule - 8th to Mid-Twelfth Century

Carolingian Miniscule was developed to be easily recognized throughout the Charlemagne Empire. From the 8th to the 12 century, it was used to produce classical texts, religious books and educational material. The script has been called a representation of true renaissance calligraphy, however when the Gothic era came about, it became obsolete.

9. Early Gothic - 11th and 12th Century

Born from Carolingian Miniscule, the script is considered yet another style that became heavily calligraphically embellished. Early Gothic disappeared when the 13th century brought various Gothic Textura scripts.

10. Gothic Textura Quadrata - 13th, 14th and 15th Century

This script became a model for the first typefaces. Thus, Gothic Textura Quadrata was used in printed books well into the Renaissance. The script was later dropped by the scribes because of its severe calligraphic restrictions.

11. Gothic Textura Prescisus vel sine Pedibus - 13th Century and on

This script originated in England and was copied in Northern France. When the Renaissance arrived, Gothic Textura Prescisus vel sine Pedibus lost its popularity - it couldn't compete with the newer artistic concepts introduced by the Renaissance.

12. Gothic Littera Bastarda - 13th Century and on

It is hard to document the many variations of this script, as it existed for at least three centuries. Gothic Littera Bastarda later took a backseat to the more readable, popular Renaissance script styles.