Abstract
In the Institutio Oratoria of Quintilian we find a presentation of a theory of the virtues of eloquence: purity of language (latinitas), clarity (perspicuitas), appropriateness (aptum) and ornament (ornatus). All of them were originated by earlier Greek philosophers Aristotle and Theophrastus. Later this theory was taken on and elaborated by Roman rhetoricians – Cicero and Quintilian. Aristotle in his Rhetoric explicitly identified three of the four virtues (clarity, appropriateness and correctness). Theophrastus created a theory of four virtues of eloquence (correctness, clarity, appropriateness and ornament). His system was adopted by most of others. Dionysius, however, developed the most complex system of virtues. He presented a theory of virtues, which were divided into necessary (purity of language, appropriateness, lucidity and brevity) and accessory ones. The accessory virtues were further subdivided into another three groups. Rhetorica ad Herennium offered a three fold system: elegantia (including both correctness and clarity), compositio (similar to appropriateness) and diginitas (similar to ornament). Basically, in almost all aspects being closer to Cicero (who continues the tradition of Theophrastus), Quintilian is more focused on his theory of eloquence. He discusses the virtues of eloquence very widely and deeply, step by step, drawing a number of examples and including the educational process of an orator. Above all, although the theory of four virtues of Quintilian has been influenced by Ciceron, to some extent in general it does not claim originality and plays a paramount role in modern rhetorics, stylistic and pedagogy.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
Most read articles by the same author(s)
-
Monika Voinič,
Plutarch‘s „De liberis educandis“: Educating the Virtuous Citizen
,
Literatūra: Vol. 54 No. 3 (2012): the Classics
-
Aušra Martišiūtė,
The Images of a Sacral and Demonic City in Lithuanian Dramaturgy
,
Literatūra: Vol. 48 No. 1 (2006): Lithuanian Literature
-
Gintautas Mažeikis,
Great Subject of Propaganda: by the Traces of Post-communist Autobiographies
,
Literatūra: Vol. 50 No. 1 (2008): Lithuanian Literature
-
Christian Laes,
Polyglots in Roman Antiquity. Writing Socio-cultural History Based on Anecdotes
,
Literatūra: Vol. 55 No. 3 (2013): the Classics
-
Dalia Čiočytė,
Religious and national identity in Antanas Baranauskas’s reflection of the poetical self
,
Literatūra: Vol. 48 No. 5 (2006): Special Issue
-
Austė Nakienė,
The problem of the national style in Lithuanian music. South Eastern Lithuanian folk melodics in phonograph recordings from the 1st half of the 20th century
,
Literatūra: Vol. 48 No. 5 (2006): Special Issue
-
Jurgita Žąsinaitė-Gedminienė,
Universal Time counters of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the second half of the 18th century: Vilnius and Grodno Calendars
,
Literatūra: Vol. 52 No. 1 (2010): Lithuanian Literature
-
Sigita Barniškienė,
Das Wortspiel in Manfred Peter Heins Gedichten
,
Literatūra: Vol. 49 No. 5 (2007): Special Issue
-
Thierry Laurent,
La Grande Guerre dans le roman français contemporain
,
Literatūra: Vol. 59 No. 4 (2017): World Literatures
-
Aistė Birgerytė,
Viktorija Šeina,
Giedrė Šmitienė, „Kūno fenomenologija Alfonso Nykos-Niliūno tekstuose“ / Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, „Ankstyvasis Vilniaus literatūrinis modernizmas (1904–1915)“
,
Literatūra: Vol. 48 No. 1 (2006): Lithuanian Literature