The circulation of latin texts during the Middle Ages

This chapter begins discussing the methodical approaches to elucidate the diffusion of texts and proceeds examining the material, cultural and social factors which influenced their circulation. Among the material and economic factors are the cost and availability of writing materials, features such as script and format of books, the accessibility of libraries and different types of book manufacturing. Since a great part of medieval literature was transmitted orally, there is a complex relationship between oral and written transmission, occasionally changing between Latin and the vernacular languages. Knowledge of Latin was the prerequisite for having access to this literature and it varied greatly according to the period, the region, and the social group. Most Latin texts were written for an individual or a comparatively small group, but some of them reached a broad audience, depending on the social interaction of authors, their communities, and their dedicatees.