Institutio Oratoria, Books 1-3

by Quintilian, Harold Edgeworth Butler (Translator)

Quintilian was born in Spain about A.D. 35; he became a well-known and prosperous teacher of rhetoric in Rome, probably the first to receive a salary as such from public funds. His "Institutio Oratoria" ("Training of an Orator"), a comprehensive training program in twelve books, draws on his own rich experience. Here Quintilian gives guidelines for proper schooling (beginning with the young boy); analyzes the structure of speeches and recommends devices for engaging listeners and appealing to their emotions; reviews a wide range of Greek and Latin authors of use to the orator; and counsels on memory, delivery, and gestures. This practical guide, in lucid style, provides valuable insight on Roman education. The work also yields many a memorable comment on the styles of various writers.

Genres: Education, Philosophy, Classics, Reference, Writing, Nonfiction

560 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 95

About the author

Marcus Fabius Quintilianus or Quintilian (c. 35 – c. 100) was a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing.

Reviews

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.

[Joshua Lister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. There are a couple chapters which deal with Latin grammar rules and because of my ignorance, I was lost while reading it. There is also a section which surveys previous writers on the art of Oratory and wades through some pretty technical and fine distinctions. This section is difficult but brief enough to gut through. Other than that, I found this to be a very helpful book filled with practical wisdom. I am looking forward to the last three volumes.

[Parker Samelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most famous books ever written on the art of rhetoric.

[Dan Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

One is never 'finished' with this sort of book. I spent the summer working through this work to hone my understanding of classical pedagogy. I have some writing to finish, which I will post on classical commonplace.com under 'Quintilian'. The 'Institutio' is the summation and state of the art of liberal education in the first century AD. As such, it represents the apex of the Roman preparation of the 'classici' - those who were considered to be educated at all.

[Ladislav · Rating 5 out of 5]

K tejto knihe som sa dostal počas štúdia na VŠ a aj keď od tej doby uplynulo niekoľko rokov, často na ňu spomínam, pretože ponúka svojský pohľad na dôležitosť štylistiky a rétoriky.

[David]

"Aqueles a quem não foi dado receber uma boa educação, não devem ter menos cuidado em instruir os seus filhos; mas, por isso mesmo, deveriam empenhar-se mais nestes aspectos." (I.I, 7)