Tlic Rhcforica of PhUodemus. 271 



philosophers. By this reasoning we should have to deny the 

 position of an art to medicine and poetics. Then too, one might 

 claim that there are good rhetors now. However sophists did 

 not flourish before the technical treatises, but the arts were 

 introduced by the statesmen, not by those who had made no 

 study of the subject; and there are other arts about which 

 nothing has been written as is the case in many parts of the 

 barbarian world. 



Section I-2. 

 Refutation of arguments in favor of rhetoric. 

 Having now discussed the arguments against rhetoric's being I. 29, 14 ff. 

 an art we shall now take up the arguments in its favor. T" ^"PP'- ^°' 



General criticism of these arguments. 



(a) They assert that it is an art without establishing the pre- 

 liminary principles on which their statement rests. 



(b) They fail to see that not only is art required for some 

 purposes, but practice is required for others, and think that the 

 same training is adequate for sophistic and politics, whereas 

 there is no art of the latter. 



(c) H they apply the term "art" to the state of mind adapted 

 for making rhetorical speeches, how can this be the property of 

 only afew? 



Let us take up the arguments one at a time. 



"If the rhetors did not use a method we would not find many I, 31, aff. = 



paying monev for their courses." This argument rests on the ^uppl. 17, 



..',,.. 20 fi. 



supposition that rhetoric is an art of politics. This is con- 

 tradicted by Epicurus in his treatise llepl rrj^ prjropiKrj^ in which 

 he says : "Those who study in the rhetorical schools are deceived. 

 They are charmed by the tricks of style, and pay no attention to 

 the thought, believing that if they can learn to speak in this 

 style they will succeed in the assembly and court of law. But 

 when they find that this style is wholly unfitted for practical 

 speaking they realize that they have lost their money." In this 

 respect rhetoric may fittingly be compared to the art of prophecy. 



"Not a few who were unable to speak in public have gained i, 35, iff. = 



ability bv studving in the rhetorical schools." But some come Suppl. 19, 



. . 13 ff- 



out of the schools worse than when they went in. And if some 



improve, it may be from other causes which we shall discuss 



