Martin Puchner in his book Norton Anthology of World Literature begins the first chapter with an interesting analysis of the history of writing. He explains the origin of the word literature with a revelation of the different forms of literary works in the ancient Mediterranean and near eastern. The author states that the initial compositions were in oral nature, such as poems, songs, and stories because of illiteracy. The ancient society passed the tales from one generation to the next. The verbal compositions, though critical and informative, were inevitably lost or distorted with time.
Despite the challenges of the spoken words, the author reveals that writing was not invented to preserve the literature but for administration purposes in ancient Greece. Puchner (2013) explains that scribbling was first developed in Mesopotamia in the era between 3300 to 2990 BCE. He further asserts that the first communication in this form was by using pictographic characters inscribed in clay tablets. The Greeks later adopted the alphabet and shapes such as alpha and beta.
Puchner (2013) explains that the Mediterranean was composed of different societies with distinctive cultures. The separate societies developed separate literary works. The author acknowledges that The Romans, Hebrews, and Greeks had a huge impact on modern literature. The Hebrews wrote the bible, the Greeks used the alphabet for administration, and the Romans developed a legal code to help rule the vast empire. Puncher (2013) reveals that Roman compositions were original although heavily borrowed from Greek works. Additionally, the Latin Empire was vast, permitting the universal acceptance of the Roman culture. The author concludes in that chapter by stating that the Mediterranean society’s influence is visible in the modern world.
Reference
Puchner, M. (2013). Norton Anthology of World Literature (Shorter Fourth Edition) (Vol 1). W. W. Norton & Company.