20 h 51 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What turns a store of words into the power to speak well when no script is at hand?
In Institutio Oratoria, Book X, Quintilian moves from the theory of speaking to the work that builds skill. The Roman teacher asks what you should read, how you should write, and when you should correct your words. His goal is the complete orator: a good person who speaks well.
Reading supplies both words and ideas. Quintilian guides you through Greek and Roman authors, beginning with Homer, whom he treats as the source of later eloquence. He then explores imitation, careful writing, revision, and speaking on the spot. The challenge is to learn from strong models without merely copying them.
What you’ll discover
- Words with something behind them Build a richer command of language by gathering both vocabulary and things worth saying.
- Reading with judgment Follow Quintilian through Greek and Roman writers, considering what each can teach a speaker.
- Models without mere copying Explore how imitation can support learning without becoming a substitute for your own work.
- The discipline of revision See why writing needs correction, and why cutting and polishing belong to the same labour.
- Speech beyond the script Discover how sustained reading and writing prepare a speaker to find words on the spot.
Who will love it
For teachers, writers, speakers and students who love practical methods for improving their command of language, and for readers drawn to Roman culture, Greek and Roman authors, and the art of eloquence.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Build a rich store of words
- Read widely but read with judgment
- A tour of Greek and Latin authors
- Imitate the best without copying
- Write much, and write carefully
- Revise, cut and polish your work
- Learn to speak without a script
- Why the book has lasted
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Institutio Oratoria, Libro X
by Quintiliano · 95
Quintilian shows how reading, imitation and revision turn a student's store of words into speech that flows freely.
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In short
Book Ten of the Institutio Oratoria is the part of Quintilian's great handbook of education where the student of speaking learns how to build real skill. Quintilian was a Roman teacher of rhetoric who wrote the whole work in twelve books late in the first century AD, after many years in the classroom.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Build a rich store of words
Quintilian opens Book Ten with the claim that a speaker needs a copious supply of words and things. He means both vocabulary and subject matter. Without them, the rules taught in earlier books stay empty, like tools with nothing to work on.
He says this store comes from study, and it must be gathered early and kept in good order. Words must be chosen with care. Some suit solemn matters, some suit light ones, and a speaker must learn to tell which is which. He also warns against old, far-fetched or showy words used only to impress.
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What is Book 10 of the Institutio Oratoria about?
It covers how a student of oratory should train: reading the best Greek and Latin authors, imitating them wisely, writing often, revising with care and learning to speak without a prepared script.
Who was Quintilian?
Quintilian was a Roman teacher of rhetoric from the first century AD. He taught in Rome for years and wrote the Institutio Oratoria, a twelve book guide to educating the ideal orator.
What does Quintilian say about imitation?
He says students should learn from good models but not copy them blindly. Imitation helps, yet a speaker must add his own talent, choose the best qualities from many authors, and understand why they work.
The author
Quintilian
35–96 · Ancient Roman rhetorician
Quintilian was a Roman teacher of rhetoric, born around AD 35 in Calagurris, in what is now Spain. He taught in Rome and died around AD 96. He wrote the twelve-book Institutio Oratoria, completed around AD 95, on the education and training of public speakers.
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