The invention of stichometry has been generally ascribed to Euthalius, a deacon in Alexandria, who, in the year 458, set forth a copy of Paul’s epistles stichometrically arranged; but Tregelles is inclined to the opinion that he borrowed the system from an earlier writer, Pamphilus the martyr.  However this may be, the original conception doubtless came from the stichometry of Hebrew poetry.  Hug (Sec. 44) and Tregelles (Horne’s Introduct., vol. 4, chap. 4) give an example in Greek from a fragment of the Pauline epistles.  This example (Titus 2:2, 3), when literally translated into English according to the Greek order of words, reads as follows: 

THEAGEDMENTOBESOBER
GRAVE
SOBERMINDED
SOUNDINTHEFAITH
INLOVE
INPATIENCE
THEAGEDWOMENLIKEWISE
INBEHAVIORASBECOMESHOLYWOMEN
NOTSLANDERERS
NOTGIVENTOMUCHWINE
TEACHERSOFGOODTHINGS

Though the design of stichometry was not interpunction according to the connection of thought, yet it seems to have led to this result.  The expensiveness of this mode of writing, owing to the waste of parchment, naturally suggested the idea of separating the lines by a simple point, thus: 

THEAGEDMENTOBESOBER.  GRAVE. 
SOBERMINDED. SOUNDINTHEFAITH. 
INLOVE.  INPATIENCE.  THEAGED
WOMENLIKEWISE.  INBEHAVIORAS
BECOMETHHOLYWOMEN.  NOTSLAN
DERERS.  NOTGIVENTOMUCHWINE. 
TEACHERSOFGOODTHINGS.

As these divisions were mainly rhythmical, and often broke the true connection of thought, men sought to introduce a more logical system of interpunction.  Thus was laid the foundation of our present system; which, however, was not perfected till after the invention of the art of printing.

In the opinion of some, the use of the dot, at least to some extent, was earlier than stichometry.  From the eighth or ninth century punctuation in manuscripts became more common and systematic.  In cursive manuscripts—­those that employ the running hand with large and small letters and the separation of the words, a style of writing that became the common one from the ninth century and onward—­punctuation also prevails, though not according to any one established system.  Tregelles, ubi sup.  Various other particulars interesting to those who study the Greek text in the original, as those relating to the accents, the smooth and rough breathing, and the iota subscript, are here omitted.

7.  We come next to consider the ancient divisions made in the contents of the sacred text. Chapters are very early mentioned, as by Tertullian and Dionysius of Alexandria.  But it is uncertain whether any thing more is meant than parts or sections of given contents.  The earliest formal division of the four gospels that has come down to us consists of the Ammonian sections (Greek kephalaia, heads or chapters), so named from Ammonius of Alexandria, who, about the middle of the third