The passage known as Lorem Ipsum has been used as a placeholder text in the printing and typesetting industry since the 16th century. It was popularized by the printer and publisher Aldus Manutius, who used it in a specimen book in 1501. The purpose of Lorem Ipsum is to fill space in a layout or design where text will eventually be placed.
The passage itself consists of Latin-looking words but does not form coherent or meaningful sentences. It has been altered and modified over the years, and different variations of Lorem Ipsum exist. The text is intentionally designed to have a non-distracting appearance, with a balance of letters, words, and syllables, making it suitable as a placeholder.
While the origin and specific meaning of the words in Lorem Ipsum are unclear, it has become an industry standard for placeholder text and is often used in graphic design, web development, and typesetting as a temporary filler until the final text is available.
So, while the history of Lorem Ipsum is interesting, it is important to note that it is not directly linked to Cicero or any particular classical Latin literature.