Readings in Medieval Rhetoric

This authoritative anthology will put to rest the general impression that traditional rhetoric had little impact during the years between the death of St. Augustine and Bracciolini's rediscovery of Quintilian. Although little was added to the corpus of material called rhetoric, this discipline nonetheless played an important part as it was brought to bear on new areas of practical need. By presenting 36 rhetorical treatises—many translated into English for the first time—from nearly every century of the period 430 to 1416 A.D., the editors make clear the diversity of interest as well as the continuity of approach that marked the rhetoric of the Middle Ages.

Table of Contents:
Preface 1.Martianus Capella, De nuptiis Philogiae et Mercurii, V: "The Book of Rhetoric" (excerpt). Translated by Joseph M. Miller 2.(Pseudo) Aurelius Augustine, On Rhetoric: Additional Material. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 3.C. Chirius Fortunatianus, Artis rhetoricae libri tres, I (excerpt). Translated by Joseph M. Miller 4.Emporius the Orator, Concerting Ethopoeia. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 5.Rufinus of Antioch, Verses . . . on the Word Arrangement and Metres in Oratory. Translated by Ian Thomson 6.Priscian the Grammarian, Fundamentals Adapted from Hermogenes. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 7.Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, An Overview of the Structure of Rhetoric. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 8.Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus, Institutiones Divinarum et Saecularium Litterarum, II.2: "On Rhetoric." Commentary 9.Isidore of Seville, The Etymologies, II.1-15: "Concerning Rhetoric." Translated by Dorothy V. Cerino 10.The Venerable Bede, Concerning Figures and Tropes. Translated by Gussie Hecht Tannenhaus 11.Alcuin, The Dialogue of Charlemagne and Alcuin concerning Rhetoric and the Virtues. Commentary 12.Rabanus Maurus, On the Training of the Clergy, III.19. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 13.Walafrid Strabo, Verse on the Five Parts of Rhetoric. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 14.Al-Baqillani, Rhetorical Figures in Poetry and the Qur'an. Commentary 15.Alberic of Monte Cassino, Flowers of Rhetoric. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 16.Guibert de Nogent, A Book about the Way a Sermon Ought to be Given. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 17.Hildebert of Lavardin, Second Sermon for Pentecost. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 18.Rupert of Deutz, A Dispute between a Monk and a Cleric about Whether a Monk Should be Allowed to Preach. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 19.Anonymous of Bologna, The Principles of Letter Writing. Commentary 20.Honorius of Autun, Concerning the Exile of the Soul and its Fatherland; also called, About the Arts. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 21.Hugh of St Victor, Didascalicon. Commentary 22.Wibaldus of Stavelot, Letter to Manegold (excerpt). Translated by Gerard Ellspermann, O.S.B. 23.John of Salisbury, Metalogicon. Commentary 24.Philip of Harveng, On the Training of the Clergy, VI.20. Translated by Joseph Miller 25.Alan of the Isles, Anticlaudianus, III.2-3; VII.6.270-295. Translated by Joseph M. Miller and Thomas Extejt 26.Alan of the Isles, A Compendium on the Art of Preaching, Preface and Selected Chapters. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 27.Thomas of Citeaux, Commentary on the Song of Songs, III.31; X.141. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 28.Geoffrey of Vinsauf, The New Poetics. Commentary 29.Humbert of Romans, Treatise on Preaching, II.8-9. Translated by Dominican Students, Province of St. Joseph 30.(Pseudo) Thomas Aquinas, De Arti Praedicandi. Commentary 31.Brunetto Latini, Li Livres dou Tresor, III.60-65. Translated by James R. East 32.Giles of Rome, On the Difference between Rhetoric, Ethics, and Politics, Part 1. Translated by Joseph M. Miller 33.Dante Alighieri, De vulgari eloquentia, VI. Translated by A. G. Ferrers Howell 34.Robert of Basevorn, The Form of Preaching. Commentary 35.Thomas of Todi, The Art of Giving Sermons and of Preparing Conferences (excerpts). Translated by Joseph M. Miller 36.Poggio Bracciolini, Two Letters. Translated by Joseph M. Miller Bibliography Index