ABSTRACT
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus is best known for his treatise on education, Institutio Oratoria, or The Education of the Orator, published around A.D. 95. The treatise, which combines the theoretical and educational aspects of rhetoric, is divided into 12 books and includes four major works: a treatise on education, a manual of rhetoric, a reader’s guide to the best authors, and a handbook on the moral duties of the orator. The book emphasizes moral purpose and rhetorical skill and is essentially a description of the complete rhetorical education from birth to adulthood—in short, an outline for the education of the perfect orator. Quintilian defines oratory as “the good man speaking well”—the good man being someone publicly active and courageous in pursuing his ideals. 1 Quintilian does not just describe specific guidelines but includes helpful explanations and examples from his experience for each point he makes.
