The Rhctorica of Philodemns. 277 



definition applies both to the exact sciences Hke grammar and 

 music which have certain definite rules, and to the conjectural 

 which are in possession of certain common elements affecting^- 

 individual cases, although these common elements may not have 

 been completely mastered, and the result may not be accomplished 

 always but only more frequently than by those who do not possess 

 the art. 



(There follows a passage which cannot be restored.) 

 If rhetoric has no method it is not an art. We apply the terms 

 'experience,' 'observation,' 'practice' when one has failures 

 as well as successes ; but we never call this art, for the essence 

 of art is to accomplish the result always. 



[Another lacuna; apparently, A dancer] has observed the 

 proper way of producing a beautiful effect, i. e. how to stand, 

 how to walk, etc., but he has no method or elementary principles 

 to impart as has the mvisician. The same statement applies to 

 acrobats. If we class these occupations as arts we shall include 

 practically everything. To sum up ; these which we now say 

 are arts we say have a certain character which is possessed by 

 g-rammar and sculpture ; and those which we deny are arts lack 

 this character and are characterized by observation. On the basis 

 of this definition we declare sophistic to be an art and politics not. 



Section Il-b. 

 Epicurean doctrine declares that sophistic is an art. 



We now turn to the statement : We are not responsible for j ^y 26 ff 

 the statement that sophistic is an art and that politics is dependent = Suppl. 38, 

 on observation and practice, but this comes from the founders ^'^ ' 

 of our sect, not from us.^^ I shall show where in the works of 

 Epicurus Zeno found the expression of this doctrine. In the 

 first place what would one make of the continual use by Epicurus 



^' There is a difiference between the principles of the exact arts or sci- 

 ences and those of the conjectural; of the former it is said that they 

 accomplish the result Slo, tivos TrapaTripr)<7ews (Ttoi.x^I-'^v tlvwv SirjKbvTwv Sia 

 Tr\tL6vu}v tQ)v Kara fx^pos ■ of the latter that they possess kolvQiv tlvwv dia- 

 TeLv&vTcov els to Kara fxipos. 



" By Tj/uets Philodemus means himself and his master Zeno. They had 

 been engaged in a controversy with another group of Epicureans who dis- 

 puted the claim that Epicurus considered sophistic an art. 



