The Roman Alphabet | 7th century BC

What was the basis of the Roman uppercase alphabet?
The Roman's used a variant of the Greek alphabet as the basis for their uppercase alphabet.
What were the purposes of the formal and informal styles of lettering?
A rigid, formal script was used for important manuscripts and official documents. A quicker, informal style was used for letters and routine types of writing.
Why is the Roman alphabet the most widely used and what contributions did it make?
It refined the art of handwriting, the institution of the baseline in typography and penmanship, Romans ensured that type was perfectly aligned in rows (which greatly contributed to type aesthetics).
From where did serifs originate?
Serifs originated with the carving of words into stone in ancient Italy. Stones man added little hooks to the tips of letters to prevent the chisel from slipping.
When and where did lowercase, or minuscule, letters develop?

What is a ligature and why were they utilized?
A ligature is a thing used for typing or binding something tightly.
Post an example of the Roman alphabet in visual form.