Treatise on Rhetorical Invention and Treatise on Topics

Cicero placed a high value on the importance of mastering the skill of rhetoric, which is the art of using language as a means to persuade. Such a skill was important especially in the practice of law and politics, of which he did both. In the "Treatise of Rhetorical Invention" Cicero outlines his theories on rhetoric in this early composition. In "Topics" we find an exposition of the tools that an orator may avail himself of in crafting a convincing argument. Cicero is thought of as one of the greatest orators of all time and it is due in no small part to his mastery of rhetoric. This collection, translated by C. D. Yonge, will give the reader great insight into the skill of rhetoric as it was thought of and practiced by an early master of the skill.