Institutio Oratoria (Quintilian)

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	Institutio Oratoria Author: Quintilian	Translator: Harold Edgeworth Butler
533	Quod intelligi etiam ex ipsis oratoribus potest , qui tantum inter se distant genere dicendi , ut nemo sit alteri similis , quamvis plurimi se ad eorum quos probabant imitationem composuerint .	This is clear from a consideration of the orators themselves, who differ in style to such an extent that no one is like another, in spite of the fact that numbers have modelled their style on that of their favorite authors.
534	Utile deinde plerisque visum est ita quemque instituere , ut propria naturae bona doctrina foverent et in id potissimum ingenia , quo tenderent , adiuvarentur ; ut si quis palaestrae peritus , cum in aliquod plenum pueris gymnasium venerit , expertus eorum omni modo corpus animumque discernat , cui quisque certamini praeparandus sit ,	Many again think it useful to direct their instruction to the fostering of natural advantages and to guide the talents of their pupils along the lines which they instinctively tend to follow. Just as an expert gymnast, when he enters a gymnasium full of boys, after testing body and mind in every way, is able to decide for what class of athletic contest they should be trained, even so, they say,
535	ita praeceptorem eloquentiae , cum sagaciter fuerit intuitus , cuius ingenium presso limatoque genere dicendi , cuius acri , gravi , dulci , aspero , nitido , urbano maxime gaudeat , ita se commodaturum singulis , ut in eo , quo quisque eminet , provehatur ;	a teacher of oratory after careful observation of a boy's stylistic preferences, be they for terseness and polish, energy, dignity, charm, roughness, brilliance or wit, will so adapt his instructions to individual needs that each pupil will be pushed forward in the sphere for which his talents seem specially to design him;
536	quod et adiuta cura natura magis evalescat , et qui in diversa ducatur neque in iis , quibus minus aptus est , satis possit efficere et ea , in quae natus videtur , deserendo faciat infirmiora .	for nature, when cultivated, goes from strength to strength, while he who runs counter to her bent is ineffective in those branches of the art for which he is less suited and weakens the talents which he seemed born to employ.
537	Quod mihi ( libera enim vel contra receptas persuasiones rationem sequenti sententia est ) in parte verum videtur . Nam proprietates ingeniorum dispicere prorsus necessarium est .	Now, since the critic who is guided by his reason is free to dissent even from received opinions, I must insist that to my thinking this view is only partially true. It is undoubtedly necessary to note the individual gifts of each boy,
538	In his quoque certum studiorum facere delectum nemo dissuaserit . Namque erit alius historiae magis idoneus , alius compositus ad carmen , alius utilis studio iuris , ut nonnulli rus fortasse mittendi . Sic discernet haec dicendi magister , quomodo palaestricus ille cursorem faciet aut pugilem aut luctatorem aliudve quid ex iis , quae sunt sacrorum certaminum .	and no one would ever convince me that it is not desirable to differentiate courses of study with this in view. One boy will be better adapted for the study of history, another for poetry, another for law, while some perhaps had better be packed off to the country. The teacher of rhetoric will distinguish such special aptitudes, just as our gymnast will turn one pupil into a runner, another into a boxer or wrestler or an expert at some other of the athletic accomplishments for which prizes are awarded at the sacred games.
539	Verum ei , qui foro destinabitur , non in unam partem aliquam sed in omnia , quae sunt eius operis , etiam si qua difficiliora discenti videbuntur , elaborandum est . Nam et omnino supervacua erat doctrina , si natura sufficeret .	But on the other hand, he who is destined for the bar must study not one department merely, but must perfect himself in all the accomplishments which his profession demands, even though some of them may seem too hard for him when he approaches them as a learner. For if natural talent alone were sufficient, education might be dispensed with.
540	An si quis ingenio corruptus ac tumidus , ut plerique sunt , incident , in hoc eum ire patiemur ? aridum atque ieiunum non alemus et quasi vestiemus ? Nam si quaedam detrahere necessarium est , cur non sit adiicere concessum ?	Suppose we are given a pupil who, like so many, is of depraved tastes and swollen with his own conceit; shall we suffer him to go his own sweet way? If a boy's disposition is naturally dry and jejune, ought we not to feed it up or at any rate clothe it in fairer apparel? For, if in some cases it is necessary to remove certain qualities, surely there are others where we may be permitted to add what is lacking.
541	Neque ego contra naturam pugno . Non enim deserendum id bonum , si quod ingenitum est , existimo , sed augendum addendumque quod cessat .	Not that I would set myself against the will of nature. No innate good quality should be neglected, but defects must be made good and weaknesses made strong.
542	An vero clarissimus ille praeceptor Isocrates , quem non magis libri bene dixisse quam discipuli bene docuisse testantur , cum de Ephoro atque Theopompo sic iudicaret , ut alteri frenis alteri calcaribus opus esse diceret , aut in illo lentiore tarditatem aut in illo paene praecipiti concitationem adiuvandam docendo existimavit , cum alterum alterius natura miscendum arbitraretur ?	When Isocrates, the prince of instructors, whose works proclaim his eloquence no less than his pupils testify to his excellence as a teacher, gave his opinion of Ephorus and Theopompus to the effect that the former needed the spur and the latter the curb, what was his meaning? Surely not that the sluggish temperament of the one and the headlong ardour of the other alike required modification by instruction, but rather that each would gain from an admixture of the qualities of the other.
543	Imbecillis tamen ingeniis sane sic obsequendum sit , ut tantum in id , quo vocat natura , ducantur ; ita enim , quod solum possunt , melius efficient . Si vero liberalior materia contigerit et in qua merito ad spem oratoris simus aggressi , nulla dicendi virtus omittenda est .	In the case of weaker understandings however some concession must be made and they should be directed merely to follow the call of their nature, since thus they will be more effective in doing the only thing that lies in their power. But if we are fortunate enough to meet with richer material, such as justifies us in the hope of producing a real orator, we must leave no oratorical virtue uncared for.
544	Nam licet sit aliquam in partem pronior , ut necesse est , ceteris tamen non repugnabit , atque ea cura paria faciet iis , in quibus eminebat ; sicut ille ( ne ab eodem exemplo recedamus ) exercendi corpora peritus , non , si docendum pancratiasten susceperit , pugno ferire vel calce tantum aut nexus modo atque in iis certos aliquos docebit , sed omnia quae sunt eius certaminis . Erit qui ex his aliqua non possit : in id maxime quod poterit incumbet .	For though he will necessarily have a natural bent for some special department of oratory, he will not feel repelled by the others, and by sheer application will develop his other qualities until they equal those in which he naturally excels. The skilled gymnast will once again provide us with a parallel: if he undertakes to train a pancratiast, he will not merely teach him how to use his fists or his heels, nor will he restrict his instructions to the holds in wrestling, giving special attention to certain tricks of this kind, but will train him in every department of the science. Some will no doubt be incapable of attaining proficiency in certain exercises; these must specialise on those which lie within their powers.
545	Nam sunt haec duo vitanda prorsus : unum ne temptes quod effici non possit , alterum ne ab eo , quod quis optime facit , in aliud , ad quod minus est idoneus , transferas . At si fuerit qui docebitur ille , quem adolescentes senem vidimus , Nicostratus , omnibus in eo docendi partibus similiter utetur , efficietque illum , qualis hic fuit , luctando pugnandoque , quorum utroque certamine iisdem diebus coronabatur , invictum .	For there are two things which he must be most careful to avoid: first, he must not attempt the impossible, secondly he must not switch off his pupil from what he can do well to exercises for which he is less well suited. But if his pupil is like the famous Nicostratus, whom we saw when he was old and we were boys, he will train him equally in every department of the science and will make him a champion both in boxing and wrestling, like Nicostratus himself who won the prize for both contests within a few days of each other.
546	Et quanto id magis oratoris futuri magistro providendum erit ? Non enim satis est dicere presse tantum aut subtiliter aut aspere , non magis quam phonasco acutis tantum aut mediis aut gravibus sonis aut horum etiam particulis excellere . Nam sicut cithara ita oratio perfecta non est , nisi ab imo ad summum omnibus intenta nervis consentiat .	And how much more important is the employment of such methods where our future orator is concerned! It is not enough to be able to speak with terseness, subtlety or vehemence, any more than it would be for a singing master to excel in the upper, middle or lower register only, or in particular sections of these registers alone. Eloquence is like a harp and will never reach perfection, unless all its strings be taut and in tune.
547	Plura de officio docentium locutus discipulos id unum interim moneo , ut praeceptores suos non minus quam ipsa studia ament , et parentes esse non quidem corporum sed mentium credant .	Though I have spoken in some detail of the duties of the teacher, I shall for the moment confine my advice to the learners to one solitary admonition, that they should love their masters not less than their studies, and should regard them as the parents not indeed of their bodies but of their minds.
548	Multum haec pietas conferet studio ; nam ita et libenter audient et dictis credent et esse similes concupiscent , in ipsos denique coetus scholarum laeti alacresque convenient , emendati non irascentur , laudati gaudebunt , ut sint carissimi , studio merebuntur .	Such attachments are of invaluable assistance to study. For under their influence they find it a pleasure to listen to their teachers, believe what they say and long to be like them, come cheerfully and gladly to school, are not angry when corrected, rejoice when praised, and seek to win their master's affection by the devotion with which they pursue their studies.
549	Nam ut illorum officium est docere , sic horum praebere se dociles ; alioqui neutrum sine altero sufficit . Et sicut hominis ortus ex utroque gignentium confertur , et frustra sparseris semina , nisi illa praemollitus foverit sulcus : ita eloquentia coalescere nequit nisi sociata tradentis accipientisque concordia .	For as it is the duty of the master to teach, so it is the duty of the pupil to show himself teachable. The two obligations are mutually indispensable. And just as it takes two parents to produce a human being, and as the seed is scattered in vain, if the ground is hard and there is no furrow to receive it and bring it to growth, even so eloquence can never come to maturity, unless teacher and taught are in perfect sympathy.
550	In his primis operibus , quae non ipsa parva sunt sed maiorum quasi membra atque partes , bene instituto atque exercitato iam fere tempus appetet aggrediendi suasorias iudicialesque materias ; quarum antequam viam ingredior , pauca mihi de ipsa ratione declamandi dicenda sunt , quae quidem ut ex omnibus novissime inventa ita multo est utilissima .	These elementary stages are in themselves no small undertaking, but they are merely members and portions of the greater whole; when therefore the pupil has been thoroughly instructed and exercised in these departments, the time will as a rule have come for him to attempt deliberative and forensic themes. But before I begin to discuss these, I must say a few words on the theory of declamation, which is at once the most recent and most useful of rhetorical exercises.
551	Nam et cuncta illa , de quibus diximus , in se fere continet , et veritati proximam imaginem reddit , ideoque ita est celebrata , ut plerisque videretur ad formandam eloquentiam vel sola sufficere . Neque enim virtus ulla perpetuae duntaxat orationis reperiri potest , quae non sit cum hac dicendi meditatione communis .	For it includes practically all the exercises of which we have been speaking and is in close touch with reality. As a result it has acquired such a vogue that many think that it is the sole training necessary to the formation of an orator, since there is no excellence in a formal speech which is not also to be found in this type of rhetorical exercise.
552	Eo quidem res ista culpa docentium reccidit , ut inter praecipuas quae corrumperent eloquentiam causas licentia atque inscitia declamantium fuerit . Sed eo , quod natura bonum est , bene uti licet .	On the other hand the actual practice of declamation has degenerated to such an extent owing to the fault of our teachers, that it has come to be one of the chief causes of the corruption of modern oratory; such is the extravagance and ignorance of our declaimers. But it is possible to make a sound use of anything that is naturally sound.
553	Sint ergo et ipsae materiae , quae fingentur , quam simillimae veritatis , et declamatio , in quantum maxime potest , imitetur eas actiones , in quarum exercitationem reperta est .	The subjects chosen for themes should, therefore, be as true to life as possible, and the actual declamation should, as far as may be, be modelled on the pleadings for which it was devised as a training.
554	Nam magos et pestilentiam et responsa et saeviores tragicis novercas aliaque magis adhuc fabulosa frustra inter sponsiones et interdicta quaeremus . Quid ergo ? Nunquam haec supra fidem et poetica , ut vere dixerim , themata iuvenibus tractare permittamus , ut exspatientur et gaudeant materia et quasi in corpus eant ?	For we shall hunt in vain among sponsions and interdicts for magicians and plagues and oracles and stepmothers more cruel than any in tragedy, and other subjects still more unreal than these. What then? are we never to permit young men to handle unreal or, to be more accurate, poetic themes that they may run riot and exult in their strength and display their full stature?
555	Erit optimum ; sed certe sint grandia et tumida , non stulta etiam et acrioribus oculis intuenti ridicula : ut , si iam cedendum est , impleat se declamator aliquando , dum sciat , ut quadrupedes , cum viridi pabulo distentae sunt , sanguinis detractione curantur et sic ad cibos viribus conservandis idoneos redeunt , ita sibi quoque tenuandas adipes , et quidquid humoris corrupti contraxerit , emittendum , si esse sanus ac robustus volet . Alioqui tumor ille inanis primo cuiusque veri operis conatu deprehendetur .	It were best to prohibit them absolutely. But at any rate the themes, however swelling and magnificent, should not be such as to seem foolish and laughable to the eye of an intelligent observer. Consequently, if we must make some concession, let us allow the declaimer to gorge himself occasionally, as long as he realises that his case will be like that of cattle that have blown themselves out with a surfeit of green food: they are cured of their disorder by blood-letting and then put back to food such as will maintain their strength; similarly the declaimer must be rid of his superfluous fat, and his corrupt humours must be discharged, if he wants to be strong and healthy.
556	Totum autem declamandi opus qui diversum omni modo a forensibus causis existimant , ii profecto ne rationem quidem , qua ista exercitatio inventa sit , pervident .	Otherwise, the first time he makes any serious effort, his swollen emptiness will stand revealed. Those, however, who hold that declamation has absolutely nothing in common with pleading in the courts, are clearly quite unaware of the reasons which gave rise to this type of exercise.
557	Nam si foro non praeparat , aut scenicae ostentationi aut furiosae vociferationi simillimum est . Quid enim attinet iudicem praeparare , qui nullus est ; narrare , quod omnes sciant falsum ; probationes adhibere causae , de qua nemo sit pronuntiaturus ? Et haec quidem otiosa tantum ; adfici vero et ira vel luctu permovere , cuius est ludibrii , nisi quibusdam pugnae simulacris ad verum discrimen aciemque iustam consuescimus ?	For if declamation is not a preparation for the actual work of the courts, it can only be compared to the rant of an actor or the raving of a lunatic. For what is the use of attempting to conciliate a non-existent judge, or of stating a case which all know to be false, or of trying to prove a point on which judgment will never be passed? Such waste of effort is, however, a comparative trifle. But what can be more ludicrous than to work oneself into a passion and to attempt to excite the anger or grief of our hearers, unless we are preparing ourselves by such mimic combats for the actual strife and the pitched battles of the law-courts?
558	Nihil ergo inter forense genus dicendi atque hoc declamatorium intererit ? Si profectus gratia dicimus , nihil . Utinamque adiici ad consuetudinem posset , ut nominibus uteremur , et perplexae magis et longioris aliquando actus controversiae fingerentur , et verba in usu cotidiano posita minus timeremus , et iocos inserere moris esset ; quae nos , quamlibet per alia in scholis exercitati simus , tirones in foro inveniunt .	Is there then no difference between our declamations and genuine forensic oratory? I can only reply, that if we speak with a desire for improvement, there will be no difference. [ wish indeed that certain additions could be made to the existing practice; that we made use of names, that our fictitious debates dealt with more complicated cases and sometimes took longer to deliver, that we were less afraid of words drawn from everyday speech and that we were in the habit of seasoning our words with jests. For as regards all these points, we are mere novices when we come to actual pleading, however elaborate the training that the schools have given us on other points.
559	Si vero in ostentationem comparetur declamatio , sane paulum aliquid inclinare ad voluptatem audientium debemus .	And even if display is the object of declamation, surely we ought to unbend a little for the entertainment of our audience.
560	Nam et in iis actionibus , quae in aliqua sine dubio veritate versantur , sed sunt ad popularem aptatae delectationem , quales legimus panegyricos , totumque hoc demonstrativum genus , permittitur adhibere plus cultus omnemque artem , quae latere plerumque in iudiciis debet , non confiteri modo sed ostentare etiam hominibus in hoc advocatis .	For even in those speeches which, although undoubtedly to some extent concerned with the truth, are designed to charm the multitude (such for instance as panegyrics and the oratory of display in all its branches), it is permissible to be more ornate and not merely to disclose all the resources of our art, which in cases of law should as a rule be concealed, but actually to flaunt them before those who have been summoned to hear us.
561	Quare declamatio , quoniam est iudiciorum consiliorumque imago , similis esse debet veritati ; quoniam autem aliquid in se habet ἐπιδεικτικόν nonnihil sibi nitoris assumere .	Declamation therefore should resemble the truth, since it is modelled on forensic and deliberative oratory. On the other hand it also involves an element of display, and should in consequence assume a certain air of elegance.
562	Quod faciunt actores comici , qui neque ita prorsus , ut nos vulgo loquimur , pronuntiant , quod esset sine arte , neque procul tamen a natura recedunt , quo vitio periret imitatio ; sed morem communis huius sermonis decore quodam scenico exornant .	In this connexion I may cite the practice of comic actors, whose delivery is not exactly that of common speech, since that would be inartistic, but is on the other hand not far removed from the accents of nature, for, if it were, their mimicry would be a failure: what they do therefore is to exalt the simplicity of ordinary speech by a touch of stage decoration.
563	Sic quoque aliqua nos incommoda ex iis , quas finxerimus , materiis consequentur , in eo praecipue , quod multa in iis relinquuntur incerta , quae sumimus ut videtur , aetates , facultates , liberi , parentes , urbium ipsarum vires , iura , mores , alia his similia ;	So too we shall have to put up with certain inconveniences arising from the nature of our fictitious themes; such drawbacks occur more especially in connexion with those numerous details which are left uncertain and which we presume to suit our purpose, such as the ages of our characters, their wealth, their families, or the strength, laws and manners of the cities where our scenes are laid, and the like.
564	quin aliquando etiam argumentum ex ipsis positionum vitiis ducimus . Sed haec suo quaeque loco . Quamvis enim omne propositum operis a nobis destinati eo spectet , ut orator instituatur , tamen , ne quid studiosi requirant , etiam si quid erit , quod ad scholas proprie pertineat , in transitu non omittemus .	Sometimes we even draw arguments from the actual flaws of the assumptions involved by the theme. But each of these points shall be dealt with in its proper place. For although the whole purpose of this work is the formation of an orator, I have no intention of passing over anything that has a genuine connexion with the practice of the schools, for fear that students may complain of the omission.
565	Iam hinc ergo nobis inchoanda est ea pars artis , ex qua capere initium solent , qui priora omiserunt ; quanquam video quosdam in ipso statim limine obstaturos mihi , qui nihil egere huiusmodi praeceptis eloquentiam putent , sed natura sua et vulgari modo et scholarum exercitatione contenti rideant etiam diligentiam nostram exemplo magni quoque nominis professorum , quorum aliquis , ut opinor , interrogatus , quid esset σχῆμα et νόημα , nescire se quidem sed , si ad rem pertineret , esse in sua declamatione respondit .	I have now arrived at the point when I must begin to deal with that portion of the art at which those who have omitted the preceding stages generally commence. I can see, however, that certain critics will attempt to obstruct my path at the very outset: for they will urge that eloquence can dispense with rules of this kind and, in smug satisfaction with themselves and the ordinary methods and exercises of the schools, will laugh at me for my pains; in which they will be only following the example of certain professors of no small reputation. One of these gentlemen, I believe, when asked to define a figure and a thought, replied that he did not know what they were, but that, if they had anything to do with the subject, they would be found in his declamation.
566	Alius percontanti , Theodoreus an Apollodoreus esset ? Ego , inquit , parmularius sum . Nec sane potuit urbanius ex confessione inscitiae suae elabi . Porro hi , quia et beneficio ingenii praestantes sunt habiti et multa etiam memoria digna exclamaverunt , plurimos habent similes negligentiae suae , paucissimos naturae .	Another when asked whether he was a follower of Theodorus or Apollodorus, replied, "Oh! as for me, I am all for the Thracians." To do him justice, he could hardly have found a neater way to avoid confessing his ignorance. These persons, just because, thanks to their natural gifts, they are regarded as brilliant performers and have, as a matter of fact, uttered much that deserves to be remembered, think that, while most men share their careless habits, few come near them for talent.
567	Igitur impetu dicere se et viribus uti gloriantur ; neque enim opus esse probatione aut dispositione in rebus fictis , sed , cuius rei gratia plenum sit auditorium , sententiis grandibus , quarum optima quaeque a periculo petatur .	Consequently they make it their boast that they speak on impulse and owe their success to their native powers; they further assert that there is no need of proof or careful marshalling of facts when we are speaking on fictitious themes, but only of some of those sounding epigrams, the expectation of which has filled the lecture-room; and these they say are best improvised on the spur of the moment.
568	Quin etiam in cogitando , nulla ratione adhibita aut tectum intuentes magnum aliquid , quod ultro se offerat , pluribus saepe diebus expectant , aut murmure incerto velut classico instincti concitatissimum corporis motum non enuntiandis sed quaerendis verbis accommodant .	Further, owing to their contempt for method, when they are meditating on some future effusion, they spend whole days looking at the ceiling in the hope that some magnificent inspiration may occur to them, or rock their bodies to and fro, booming inarticulately as if they had a trumpet inside them and adapting their agitated movements, not to the delivery of the words, but to their pursuit.
569	Nonnulli certa sibi initia , priusquam sensum invenerint , destinant , quibus aliquid diserti subiungendum sit , eaque diu secum ipsi clareque meditati desperata conectendi facultate deserunt et ad alia deinceps atque inde alia non minus communia ac nota devertunt .	Some again settle on certain definite openings long before they have thought what they are going to say, with a view to using them as pegs for subsequent snatches of eloquence, and then after practising their delivery first in silent thought and then aloud for hours together, in utter desperation of providing any connecting links, abandon them and take refuge in one formula after another, each no less hackneyed and familiar than the last.
570	Qui plurimum videntur habere rationis , non in causas tamen laborem suum sed in locos intendunt , atque in iis non corpori prospiciunt sed abrupta quaedam , ut forte ad manum venere , iaculantur .	The least unreasonable of them devote their attention not to the actual cases, but to their purple patches, in the composition of which they pay no attention to the subject-matter, but fire off a series of isolated thoughts just as they happen to come to hand.