A codex is an ancient book, made from parchment or vellum and bound in the form of a modern book, as opposed to a scroll. The term is usually used to refer to manuscripts from the ancient Roman world, although it can also be used more broadly to refer to any ancient book.
The word “codex” is derived from the Latin word “caudex”, which means “tree trunk”. This is because the early codices were often made from wooden tablets covered with wax, which were then bound together to form a book. Later, codices were made from parchment or vellum, which is a fine-quality of paper made from animal skins.
Codices were used in the ancient world to record a wide variety of information, including literature, legal texts, and religious texts. They were an important technological advancement, as they allowed for the preservation of written records in a durable format. Today, the term “codex” is still used to refer to ancient manuscripts, as well as to modern books in general.