#RMS_022

For much of human history, reading was fundamentally a social and auditory act. In classical antiquity, written texts were generally viewed as scripts for performance, intended to be declaimed to an audience or muttered aloud to oneself. The concept of reading silently, processing information directly from eye to brain without the mediation of the voice, was widely regarded as an anomaly. St. Augustine, in his Confessions, famously expressed astonishment upon witnessing Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan, reading without moving his lips—a behavior so unusual in the fourth century that it warranted specific documentation. The gradual transition to silent reading, which became more prevalent during the Middle Ages with the introduction of word separation in manuscripts, revolutionized the intellectual landscape. It transformed reading from a communal performance into a private, interior experience. This shift fostered a new form of individual autonomy, allowing readers to traverse texts at their own pace and engage in critical introspection without the constraints of a gathering. Consequently, the written word became a vehicle for private reflection, fundamentally altering the relationship between the reader and the text. According to the passage, what was a significant consequence of the historical shift towards silent reading?