timeline on rhetoric

1. A timeline of Rhetoric
Louis Dorta
Andrea Alvarez
Brianna Sosa

2. Rhetoric as an art has evolved throughout the centuries and continues to evolve
throughout time. In order to measure how rhetoric has grown as a persuasive
speaking and writing tool, we have developed a timeline of what we deem to be
important towards to growth and development of rhetoric from ancient Greece to the
20th century. These time periods have been the stepping stones that have molded
rhetoric into the art that it is known for today. From Aristotle’s persuasive audience
appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), Cicero’s five canons of rhetoric (invention,
arrangement, style, memory, and delivery), to Jacques Derrida’s concepts on
deconstruction, we will explore the art that has shaped and strengthen fellow
rhetoricians throughout our history.
Rhetoric as an art has evolved throughout the centuries and continues to evolve
throughout time. In order to measure how rhetoric has grown as a persuasive
speaking and writing tool, we have developed a timeline of what we deem to be
important towards to growth and development of rhetoric from ancient Greece to the
20th century. These time periods have been the stepping stones that have molded
rhetoric into the art that it is known for today. From Aristotle’s persuasive audience
appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), Cicero’s five canons of rhetoric (invention,
arrangement, style, memory, and delivery), to Jacques Derrida’s concepts on
deconstruction, we will explore the art that has shaped and strengthen fellow
rhetoricians throughout our history.

3. 510 B.C - 100 A.D
ANTIQUITY PERIOD
OF RHETORIC

4. Gorgias, born in 485 BC, was a Sicilian
philosopher, orator, and rhetorician. He is
regarded by many scholars to be one of
the founders of sophism, a movement
traditionally associated with philosophy,
it emphasizes the practical application
of rhetoric toward civic and political life.
He was also known for contributing to
the dissemination of the
Attic Greek dialect as the language of
literary prose. Gorgias was the first
orator known to develop and teach a distinctive
style of speaking
425 B.C GORGIAS

5. 385 B.C PLATO
Plato, a philosopher during the 5th century BC, was most famous for rejecting
the idea of rhetoric. Gorgias, written by Plato
in 380 BC,a dialogue that dove into the nature of rhetoric, art, power,
temperance, justice, and good versus evil.Plato had enormous impact on the
development of Western thought, and on our understanding of nature and the
impact of knowledge.

6. Aristotle was recognized as being the most significant contributor to the
rhetoric theory. Widely known to many as the Father of Speech
Communication. Addressed the role of speaker, audience, and the speech,
itself in his text known as Rhetoric. He stated that rhetoric, based on ethos,
pathos, and logos, was powerful enough to persuade others.
332 B.C ARISTOTLE - ART OF RHETORIC

7. 87 B.C CISERO
Cicero was a teacher, statesman , and politician of ancient Rome who is widely
known for his prowess at public speaking and rhetoric. Having studied some of
the greatest speakers from Greece at the time, Cicero became a powerful figure
largely through his ability to inspire and move his audience. Cicero explained that
there were five elements important to consider when creating a speech and
making an argument. They are: Invention, arrangement, style, memory, and
delivery. These five elements are known as the five canons of rhetoric, impacting
the use of rhetoric forever.

8. Quintilian was Spain’s celebrated orator
and rhetorician from the first century
who brought forward rhetorical theory
from ancient Greece and from the
heyday of Roman rhetoric.
This theory he compiled in his work of
Institutio Oratoria, an oriented
treatment of rhetoric that was written
in twelve books.
Many rhetoricians, especially from the
Renaissance, derived their
rhetorical theory directly from this text.
95 A.D QUINTILLIAN - INSTITUTO ORATORIA

9. 5-15TH CENTURY
MIDDLE AGES PERIOD OF RHETORIC
5-15TH CENTURY
MIDDLE AGES PERIOD OF RHETORIC

10. De Doctrina Christiana is a theological text written by Saint Augustine of Hippo. It consists of
four books that describe how to interpret and teach the Scriptures The first three of these
books were published in 397 and the fourth added in 426. By writing this text, Saint Augustine
set three tasks for Christian teachers and preachers: to discover the truth in the contents of
the Scriptures, to teach the truth from the Scriptures, and to defend scriptural truth when it
was attacked.
De Doctrina Christiana is a theological text written by Saint Augustine of Hippo. It consists of
four books that describe how to interpret and teach the Scriptures The first three of these
books were published in 397 and the fourth added in 426. By writing this text, Saint Augustine
set three tasks for Christian teachers and preachers: to discover the truth in the contents of
the Scriptures, to teach the truth from the Scriptures, and to defend scriptural truth when it
was attacked.
426 A.D
ST AUGUSTINE - DE DOCTRINA CHRISTIANA

11. The Poetria nova is a preceptive treatise, that is,
it gives a specific advice to future writers about the
composition of poetry. Its handbook genre is
reinforced by multiple illustrations of its precepts
entirely invented by Geoffrey of Vinsauf, rather than
culled from classical authors.
The Poetria nova is a preceptive treatise, that is,
it gives a specific advice to future writers about the
composition of poetry. Its handbook genre is
reinforced by multiple illustrations of its precepts
entirely invented by Geoffrey of Vinsauf, rather than
culled from classical authors.
1208 A.D GEOFFREY OF VINSAUF
POETRIA NOVA

12. 15-17 CENTURY
RENAISSANCE PERIOD OF RHETORIC
Scholars generally agree that the rediscovery of important
manuscripts such as Cicero’s De Oratore
marked the beginning of the rhetoric rennaisance.
The invention of print allowed many works to be distributed all over Europe,
easing its access to the public.

13. SCHOLAR AND POET OF RENAISSANCE ITALY.
ONE OF THE EARLIEST HUMANISTS AND IS CONSIDERED
ONE OF ITS EARLY FOUNDERS.
HIS SONNETS WERE ADMIRED THROUGHOUT EUROPE
AND HE WAS CREDITED WITH DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT
OF “THE DARK AGES”
SCHOLAR AND POET OF RENAISSANCE ITALY.
ONE OF THE EARLIEST HUMANISTS AND IS CONSIDERED
ONE OF ITS EARLY FOUNDERS.
HIS SONNETS WERE ADMIRED THROUGHOUT EUROPE
AND HE WAS CREDITED WITH DEVELOPING THE CONCEPT
OF “THE DARK AGES”
1327 A.D
FRANCESCO PETRARCA

14. 17- 18 CENTURY
ENLIGHTENMENT PERIOD OF RHETORIC

15. 1623 - 1673 A.D
MARGARET CAVENDISH
Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
Newcastle, was a prolific writer who
worked in many genres, including
poetry, fiction, drama, letters, biography,
science, and even science fiction. Unlike
most women of her day, who wrote
anonymously, she published her works
under her own name.
she lived at a time when rhetoric itself
was undergoing radical changes. Her
writings provide a valuable source of
information about some of these
changes.

16. 1719-1796 A.D
GEORGE CAMPBELL

17. 1930 - 2004 A.D
JACQUES DERRIDA
THE CONCEPT OF DECONSTRUCTION
deconstruction is an approach
to understanding the
relationship between text and
meaning.The purpose of
deconstruction is to show that
the usage of language in a
given text, and language as a
whole, are irreducibly
complex, unstable, or
impossible. Throughout his
readings, Derrida hoped to
show deconstruction at work.

18. CONCLUSION
Throughout the evolution of rhetoric, rhetoric has become a more effective and
persuasive tool. From Ancient Greece to the late 20th
century it has been an
essential piece in understanding the puzzle that is human communication.
Commencing in the limelight of Ancient Greek civilization and becoming virtually
known by most if not all scholars, rhetoric has been a major discussion point for
centuries. Throughout thorough discussion, and grown insight from philosophers
and rhetoricians alike, rhetoric has evolved into the powerhouse in modern day
debates, arguments, and politics that it is widely renowned for.
CONCLUSION
Throughout the evolution of rhetoric, rhetoric has become a more effective and
persuasive tool. From Ancient Greece to the late 20th
century it has been an
essential piece in understanding the puzzle that is human communication.
Commencing in the limelight of Ancient Greek civilization and becoming virtually
known by most if not all scholars, rhetoric has been a major discussion point for
centuries. Throughout thorough discussion, and grown insight from philosophers
and rhetoricians alike, rhetoric has evolved into the powerhouse in modern day
debates, arguments, and politics that it is widely renowned for.

19. Credits
• Louis Dorta – Introduction, Conclusion, Timeline
• Brianna Sosa– Slide 3-8 research
• Andrea Alvarez – Slide 9-17 research, PowerPoint Aesthetics