Progymnasmata

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Progymnasmata (Greek "fore-exercises", Latin praeexercitamina) are rhetorical exercises gradually leading the student to familiarity with the elements of rhetoric, in preparation for their own practice speeches (gymnasmata, "exercises") and ultimately their own orations.

Both Hermogenes of Tarsus and Aphthonius of Antioch wrote treatises containing progymnasmata (in the second and third century CE, respectively).

The traditional course of rhetoric gave the progymnasmata in this order:

  1. Fable
  2. Narrative
  3. Chreia
  4. Proverb
  5. Refutation
  6. Confirmation
  7. Commonplace
  8. Encomium
  9. Vituperation
  10. Comparison
  11. Impersonation
  12. Description
  13. Thesis
  14. Defend or attack a law

Once these exercises were mastered, the student would begin preparation of a gymnasmatum, a full oration on a topic given a specific context.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.