square capital

In calligraphy, a majuscule refers to a capital or uppercase letter, as opposed to a minuscule, or lowercase letter. All letters in a majuscule script fit between two horizontal lines. The Latin alphabet uses both majuscule and minuscule letters.1

Square capitals are the earliest known Roman majuscule letters, found on imperial Roman monuments. They are characterized by slightly heavier downstrokes, lighter upstrokes, and serifs (short lines at the ends of strokes). Square capitals set a standard for elegance and clarity in the Roman alphabet.1

In contrast, rustic capitals were used for books and official documents. This script was freer, more curved, and flowing, allowing for quicker writing. Rustic capitals were more compact, with rounded forms becoming elliptical, and lost some of the formal appearance of square capitals. Both square and rustic capitals had largely disappeared by the late 7th century CE.12