notarii

Notarii were professional scribes and record-keepers in ancient Rome and throughout later European history. The term comes from Latin notarius, meaning a writer who makes notes. In antiquity, notarii were skilled civil servants or private scribes attached to magistrates, courts, or private clients. Their duties included drafting, copying, and filing contracts, wills, accounts, and other legal instruments, as well as recording proceedings and maintaining public registers. They often worked alongside other clerks and scribes to ensure accurate records.

In late antiquity and the early medieval period, the notarius evolved into a more formalized office within the imperial chancery and provincial administrations. Notarii drafted and copied official acts, preserved the records of courts and administrations, and helped standardize the language and formats of documents. This development contributed to the enduring practice of written instruments as sources of legal authority.

During the medieval period, notaries became central figures in European legal life. They were frequently clerics or educated laypersons who studied in urban schools and were authorized by secular or ecclesiastical authorities to draft, authenticate, and preserve documents. Notarial acts were produced in standardized Latin formulas and seals, and their attestations gave instruments legal validity in many jurisdictions.

Today, the term notary persists with different meanings in various legal systems. In civil-law countries, notaries are public officers who draft, authenticate, and retain important documents such as deeds, wills, and contracts. In common-law countries, notaries primarily attest signatures and dates, acting as impartial witnesses rather than instrument drafters. The modern notary tradition traces its origins back to the ancient notarii.