Quintilian, Declamationes Minores

Neil Bernstein (Ohio University)

Ed. by Sophia Papaioannou, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.2: Ancient Roman Writing and Culture (Republic and Empire), -750-476.
Vol. editors: William John Dominik (University of Otago), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Thomas Habinek (University of Southern California), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Sophia Papaioannou (National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Jula Wildberger (American University of Paris)

Domains

Rhetoric and Oratory

Dates

c.090- c.110

Places

Ancient Rome (Republic & Empire) (Country of Origin)

Resources

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Declamations, practice speeches on fictitious themes, were an integral component of the rhetorical training of elite Roman young men (Bonner, Bloomer 2011, and Walker). They represented the culmination of a rhetorical education that began with the

progymnasmata

(preliminary exercises), which offered practice in basic rhetorical skills such as developing a narrative, making a comparison, and elaborating a description. After gaining practice with the various elements of a speech, students gradually proceeded to deliver

controversiae

, fully formed speeches for or against a party in a fictional law case. The theme presents schematic details of events prior to the trial, while the declamation itself purports to be the speech of a single advocate at the time of the trial. There is no response…

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1369 words

Citation: Bernstein, Neil. "Declamationes Minores". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 February 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=34883, accessed 23 April 2024.]

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