Rhetors and the Study of Rhetoric
A rhetor was a professor of rhetoric. He educated 14 and 15 year old boys for careers in public speaking, law, and politics. Boys whose parents wanted them to become statesmen, politicians, lawyers, and public speakers, went on to study with a rhetor. The rhetors aimed to breed their students into orators who could speak persuasively in courts and public assemblies. The study of rhetoric was not exclusive to rhetoric, but rather included several subjects. Studies in these areas always took a back seat to their study of rhetoric: history, law, astronomy, geography, philosophy, music, literature, mythology, and geometry. Practicing rhetoric was the final stage of Roman education. Students of rhetoric were largely taught by private tutors, rather than in a class or lecture setting.Vespasian was the first emperor to hire rhetors as employees of the state. The rhetors were hired to teach in Rome and were paid by the state treasury. There was one instance in 161 BCE where the Roman government expelled many of the rhetors. The tutors were believed to have had too great of an influence on the opinions and actions of their students. Since rhetors were teaching a broad range of subjects, their students were susceptible to their opinions being changed by the view of their tutors. The Roman government saw this as a bad thing and decided to take action.
Quintilian: A Heralded Rhetor
Quintilian was one of the first rhetors hired by the state. Quintilian opened a school of rhetoric. Of the many students that attended, Pliny the Younger is the most recognizable. One of the reasons that Quintilian was such an accomplished and well respected rhetor was that he wrote a successful book on rhetoric, titled, "The Institutes of Oratory." In this, he explained his theory of rhetoric and how it should be taught. Also, he emphasized the development of the orator as an essential part in becoming a skilled student of rhetoric. An interesting fact about Quintilian was that he was made consul by Vespasian.
Exercises of Rhetoric
The main goal of a rhetor was to craft his students into excellent speech composers and adept public speakers. To accomplish this, students practiced exercises in phrase, sentence and paragraph composition. Specifically, Students practiced composing speeches from two categories: Suasoriae and Controversiae. As seen below, both kinds of speech are explained.
Suasoriae
Suasoria speech strives to persuade the audience or individual to take a suggested course of action. This practice help prepare students for exhortation speeches at public assemblies. Provided below is an excerpt from Jo-Ann Shelton's "As the Romans Did." It is an example of a topic assigned for a suasoriae composition.
"Agamemnon at Aulius has been warned by the prophet Calchas that it is against the will of the gods for him to set sail until he has slaughtered his daughter Iphigenia. Agamemnon deliberates: should he slaughter Iphigenia? Each student would be expected to compose a speech exhorting Agamemnon either to slaughter or not slaughter Iphigenia"
Controversiae
Controversiae speech is when the speaker takes a side of a law and are asked to argue for their position. This practice was especially helpful in developing a student of rhetoric's skills necessary to being a lawyer. Provided below is an excerpt from Jo-Ann Shelton's "As the Romans Did." It is an example of a topic assigned for a controversiae composition.
"The law states: children should support their parents, or be cast into prison. Two brothers quarrel among themselves. One has a son. The uncle falls on hard times. Although his father forbids him to do so, the young man supports his uncle; for this reason, his father disowns him. His uncle adopts him. His uncle receives an inheritance and becomes wealthy. His father falls on hard times. Although his uncle forbids him to do so, the young man supports him. His uncle disowns him. Each student would be expected to argue either for or against the justice of the father’s and uncle’s actions. Remember, fathers expected absolute obedience from their children and could punish recalcitrant children even with death."
A rhetor was a professor of rhetoric. He educated 14 and 15 year old boys for careers in public speaking, law, and politics. Boys whose parents wanted them to become statesmen, politicians, lawyers, and public speakers, went on to study with a rhetor. The rhetors aimed to breed their students into orators who could speak persuasively in courts and public assemblies. The study of rhetoric was not exclusive to rhetoric, but rather included several subjects. Studies in these areas always took a back seat to their study of rhetoric: history, law, astronomy, geography, philosophy, music, literature, mythology, and geometry. Practicing rhetoric was the final stage of Roman education. Students of rhetoric were largely taught by private tutors, rather than in a class or lecture setting.Vespasian was the first emperor to hire rhetors as employees of the state. The rhetors were hired to teach in Rome and were paid by the state treasury. There was one instance in 161 BCE where the Roman government expelled many of the rhetors. The tutors were believed to have had too great of an influence on the opinions and actions of their students. Since rhetors were teaching a broad range of subjects, their students were susceptible to their opinions being changed by the view of their tutors. The Roman government saw this as a bad thing and decided to take action.
Quintilian: A Heralded Rhetor
Quintilian was one of the first rhetors hired by the state. Quintilian opened a school of rhetoric. Of the many students that attended, Pliny the Younger is the most recognizable. One of the reasons that Quintilian was such an accomplished and well respected rhetor was that he wrote a successful book on rhetoric, titled, "The Institutes of Oratory." In this, he explained his theory of rhetoric and how it should be taught. Also, he emphasized the development of the orator as an essential part in becoming a skilled student of rhetoric. An interesting fact about Quintilian was that he was made consul by Vespasian.
Exercises of Rhetoric
The main goal of a rhetor was to craft his students into excellent speech composers and adept public speakers. To accomplish this, students practiced exercises in phrase, sentence and paragraph composition. Specifically, Students practiced composing speeches from two categories: Suasoriae and Controversiae. As seen below, both kinds of speech are explained.
Suasoriae
Suasoria speech strives to persuade the audience or individual to take a suggested course of action. This practice help prepare students for exhortation speeches at public assemblies. Provided below is an excerpt from Jo-Ann Shelton's "As the Romans Did." It is an example of a topic assigned for a suasoriae composition.
"Agamemnon at Aulius has been warned by the prophet Calchas that it is against the will of the gods for him to set sail until he has slaughtered his daughter Iphigenia. Agamemnon deliberates: should he slaughter Iphigenia? Each student would be expected to compose a speech exhorting Agamemnon either to slaughter or not slaughter Iphigenia"
Controversiae
Controversiae speech is when the speaker takes a side of a law and are asked to argue for their position. This practice was especially helpful in developing a student of rhetoric's skills necessary to being a lawyer. Provided below is an excerpt from Jo-Ann Shelton's "As the Romans Did." It is an example of a topic assigned for a controversiae composition.
"The law states: children should support their parents, or be cast into prison. Two brothers quarrel among themselves. One has a son. The uncle falls on hard times. Although his father forbids him to do so, the young man supports his uncle; for this reason, his father disowns him. His uncle adopts him. His uncle receives an inheritance and becomes wealthy. His father falls on hard times. Although his uncle forbids him to do so, the young man supports him. His uncle disowns him. Each student would be expected to argue either for or against the justice of the father’s and uncle’s actions. Remember, fathers expected absolute obedience from their children and could punish recalcitrant children even with death."