Classical Latin

Classical Latin was a highly stylized literary language, which evolved independently from the Old Latin. The earliest Latin literature of Marcus Porcius Cato the Elder, Plautus and Lucretius distinguishes them yourself. Classical Latin is the language of the educated classes of the Roman Empire. The spoken from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire is called Vulgar Latin ( sermo vulgaris or sermo plebeius ). Typical representatives of classical Latin are, for example, Cicero, or even (albeit simpler style) Caesar. The poet Ovid and Virgil are often count towards this era. Vulgar Latin differed from Classical Latin in grammar and increasing vocabulary. Over time, the pronunciation diverged.

By the first century after Christ can be assumed that a certain linguistic unity of Latin, which differentiated itself only with the beginning of the Empire, with the number of general word correspondences in classical and vernacular Latin waning. In the 1st century AD, came the linguistic development of the classical Latin to a halt. The shapes and words that had previously developed active, were more steady, in contrast to the Vulgar Latin, which had more and more innovations.

Classic Latin knew neither distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters ( capitals and small letters ) or any punctuation.