Quintilian on the Teaching of Speaking and Writing

Book excerpt: A contemporary approach to a classic text from one of ancient Rome's master educatorsQuintilian on the Teaching of Speaking and Writing offers scholars and students insights into the pedagogies of Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (ca. CE 35-ca. CE 95), one of Rome's most famous teachers of rhetoric. Providing translations of three key sections from Quintilian's important and influential Institutio oratoria (Education of the Orator), this volume outlines the systematic educational processes that Quintilian inherited from the Greeks, foregrounding his rationale for rhetorical education based on the interrelationship between reading, speaking, listening, and writing, and emphasizing the blending of moral purpose and artistic skill. A contemporary approach to one of the most influential educational work in the history of Western culture, this book provides access not only to translations of key sections of Quintilian's educational program but also a robust contemporary framework for the training of humane and effective citizens through the teaching of speaking and writing.