ABSTRACT
Rome of the first Christian century, and second only to Cicero in his later influence on European rhetorical education.
He began as a lawyer but turned to teaching, and in his retirement wrote a book-the Institutio oratoria-that not only presented a complete survey of rhetorical theory but also described in full detail the Roman school system which dominated European education for nearly two thousand years. Rhetoric was at the heart of it. By coordinating speaking, writing, reading, and critical listening, the Roman school system combined theory and practice to produce orators capable of speaking effectively on any subject.
