One of the main tasks of the amanuensis was copying books by hand.
The Latin word amanuensis came into Spanish as amanuense . This is the name given to the individual who writes by hand what is dictated to him or what he copies from another writing .
Reproduction of books by hand
Also known as a copyist , the amanuensis was in charge of reproducing books by hand . Therefore, he would take a work and begin to copy it manually, word by word, until he had a complete copy.
The amanuensis was very important when the movable type printing press had not yet been invented. As he gained experience, the amanuensis acquired greater speed in making copies, being able to reproduce up to three pages a day. In this way, copying a manuscript could take several months.
It is necessary to take into account that the amanuensis or copyist focused on the reproduction of the writing of the work . Copying the illustrations was the task of another type of specialist.
Ancient Egypt
Amanuensis had a significant social reputation in Ancient Egypt . Those scribes fulfilled different functions, such as the reproduction of the hieroglyphs that make the transmission of knowledge possible. The leaders, in this framework, needed the amanuensis for multiple administrative issues.
In addition to copying work, ancient Egyptian amanuensis also had to take care of inscription, classification and accounting. To do this, they used more than one type of writing, such as demotic or hieratic , thanks to which they were able to speed up the process. Regarding materials, they used ostracas (fragments of pottery or shells) or papyrus , and they wrote with a pen (a hollow reed, with an oblique end).
It is important to highlight the importance they had for the State, something that is not difficult to imagine if we recognize the power of the written word. In fact, they were part of a special caste whose performance could be seen in almost all areas where writing and calculation were essential. Some worked directly for royalty, and it was in that environment that for a long time amanuenses emerged, whose training they received from their parents and passed on to their children , a process that enhanced their specialization.
It is known that many families wanted this job for their children, since it guaranteed them a complete education and tasks that did not put their physical integrity at risk. All this without forgetting the incomparable connections and privileges of serving in a position for the most influential people. His studies began in early childhood, around the age of five, and concluded at seventeen; They included, in addition to writing, the reading of classic works, grammar, law, history, accounting, geography and other languages.
Ancient Greece
In Ancient Greece and during the times of the Roman Empire , copyists were also very relevant. Booksellers, for example, had amanuensis whom they ordered to reproduce the books they sold.
Note that, unlike what happened in Ancient Egypt, Greek amanuensis did not have privileges on a social level, but were limited to carrying out a job like any other. In fact, it was a skill that was not particularly admired either.
The ancient Egyptian amanuensis enjoyed privileges on a social level.
This does not mean that anyone could do it, since also in Greece a high level of education and a certain skill were necessary, in addition to a sense of responsibility and dedication. Once the writing work was completed, it was time for correction, which was sometimes carried out by a specialist.
Middle Ages
Already in the Middle Ages , amanuensis used to work in monasteries , dedicating themselves to the preservation and dissemination of books. Each amanuensis could be confined in a cell or carry out his work in a common room.