7 Latin language in ancient Rome

Classical Latin is the form of Latin language recognized as a literary standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used from 75 BC to the 3rd century AD, when it developed into Late Latin. In some later periods, it was regarded as good or proper Latin, with following versions viewed as debased, degenerate, vulgar, or corrupted. The word Latin is now understood by default to mean "Classical Latin"; for example, modern Latin textbooks almost exclusively teach Classical Latin.

The Jireček Line is a conceptual boundary through the ancient Balkans that divides the influence of the Latin and Greek languages in the Roman Empire from antiquity until the 4th century. A possible rough outline of it goes from near the city of Laç in modern Albania to Serdica and then follows the Balkan Mountains to Odessus (Varna) on the Black Sea, or continuing along the coastline northwards to the Danube Delta.

Late Latin is the scholarly name for the written Latin of late antiquity. English dictionary definitions of Late Latin date this period from the 3rd to the 6th centuries CE, and continuing into the 7th century in the Iberian Peninsula. This somewhat ambiguously defined version of Latin was used between the eras of Classical Latin and Medieval Latin. Scholars do not agree exactly when Classical Latin should end or Medieval Latin should begin. However, Late Latin is characterized by an identifiable style.

Old Latin, also known as Early Latin or Archaic Latin was the Latin language in the period before 75 BC, i.e. before the age of Classical Latin. According to most current theories, it is descended from a common Proto-Italic language; however, others postulate Latino-Faliscan as a separate branch from Osco-Umbrian with further relation to numerous other Italic languages as well as to Celtic—see also the Proto-Italo-Celtic theory.

Roman cursive is a form of handwriting used in ancient Rome and to some extent into the Middle Ages. It is customarily divided into old cursive and new cursive.

Roman square capitals, also called capitalis monumentalis, inscriptional capitals, elegant capitals and capitalis quadrata, are an ancient Roman form of writing, and the basis for modern capital letters.

Rustic capitals is an ancient Roman calligraphic script. Because the term is negatively connoted supposing an opposition to the more 'civilized' form of the Roman square capitals, Bernhard Bischoff prefers to call the script canonized capitals.