The Rhctorlca of Philodemus. 289 



Thev will sav that the. art is independent, but requires much II, 87, fr. 

 natural superiority,^" and practice in actual political life in which 

 the art is deficient ; and that those who are acquainted with the 

 principles of the art are impotent if they do not have these 

 external aids. 



Having" considered the arguments of this philosopher, we must TI. 116, fr. 



next take up those of the Cyrenaic Theodorus and his followers. 



"If the rhetors deceive, they are themselves deceived by their II, 90, fr. 



• .u r • 1 ^ J u ■ J7 XVIII = II, 



own mstruments, just as m the case of sight and hearmg. i^or ^^i, fr. I. 



if one deceives he can be deceived ; therefore they deceive no 



more than they are themselves deceived." First, how does this 



prove that rhetoric is not an art? I do ngt see why he says that 



the rhetors are deceived, and that they do not merely deceive.^^ 



When the rhetors deceive they deceive with a deception of II. 89, fr. 



Others, not of themselves ; as when a soldier strikes down his 



opponent, and says that he defeated him with defeat, he means 



his opponent's defeat, not his own. 



When a man sees, he is not therefore seen ; the same applies II, 88, fr. 



XVI 

 to hearing. Therefore rhetors are not deceived because they 



deceive. 



One who deceives is also deceived himself; consequently II, 113, fr. 

 capable rhetors are deceived in trials fully as much as they 

 deceive. I wonder if Theodorus did not frequently deceive many ; 

 he had the power to deceive, and does not acknowledge that he 

 was led astray. 



The third syllogism is more endurable but no less absurd. For n. 88, fr. 

 the physician can cure even if he uses barbarisms and soloecisms, ^v i, 7. 

 and does not speak in rhetorical style. 



Persuasion is purely a matter of guesswork. ^^' 9i>_Y; 



He says that the end of rhetoric is to persuade the hearer. 116, fr. 



We shall say nothing to those who say that the end of rhetoric Y}^^- , 

 J ^ ■> _ II, 92, f r. 



is to be able to find possible arguments on questions ; or as some XXI = II, 

 state it. to find the arguments for everv question, and to refute ^^4, fr. VII. 

 the opposing arguments. ^^ IXa. 



^" TrporepT/yua means 'superiority' as in Polyb. III. 89, g-.^f de TairporeprifxaTa 

 'Foj/jLaicju, aKaTiTpiTTTa xop^7ia Kai xetpwj' irXyjdos. 



^' Quintilian has a list of examples to prove that the deception practiced 

 by the orators does not involve self-deception. II, 17, 18-21. 



^" Cf . Aristotle's definition of rhetoric, I, 2: duva/j.is irepi eKa<TTov rov Ofui- 

 pTJffai TO ivbex^ip-evov widavbv. 



