Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores how rhetorical rules, having been learned, were applied by Byzantine students and writers. 'Byzantine' and 'rhetoric' separately are arguably amongst the most abused works in the current English language. 'Byzantine rhetoric' conjures up turgid sentences and abstruse allusions of inordinate length whose basic content could be expressed with much greater clarity in a quarter of the words. Forensic rhetoric too dwindled as the courts ceased to be a place for deliberation. The book deals with the rhetorical devices used cn public occasions, when the performance element was to the fore. It focuses on one particular branch of literature, historiography, and the possible roles that rhetoric has played in historians' approaches to their material. The book explores the interaction between the formalities of the written word and visual expression.