ABSTRACT
By the beginning of the second century AD the system of formal education in the Mediterranean world was fixed within fairly well-defined limits for both native Greek and native Latin speakers. The official attention given to teaching and learning during the later Roman Empire reflects both the desire to encourage education at all levels and the need to safeguard the position of Christianity in a world in which pagan culture still played a prominent role. Of special interest is the tremendous prestige which skill in rhetoric continued to enjoy among pagans and Christians up to the end of antiquity, a status which can be seen in the substantial salaries commanded by the teacher of rhetoric. The Christian “Church Fathers” Clement and Lactantius both see the usual subjects of study – the liberal arts – as representing a preliminary stage. St. Augustine describes his personal experiences as a student of Greek and Latin literature.
