ABSTRACT
The staseis are a useful instrument for strategic argumentation. They are typically presented as the four possible perspectives to take on any problem: fact, definition, quality, or procedure. In making the staseis as universally applicable as possible, modern transformations tend to oversimplify the system, detaching it from its ancient context. However, understanding the staseis as defence strategies reveals distinctions that can be used beyond the courtroom to understand conflicts in general. It is both possible and fruitful to understand the staseis from a classical perspective that is useful today. To amplify their value for rhetorical critics and speakers, their connection to the topoi is considered. A brief historical overview indicates the central issues regarding stasis theory from Aristotle to Hermagoras, Hermogenes, and Quintilian.
