Rhetoric Who started it?

          Many of you have asked about Roman grammatical terms, whether the Romans systematically thought that they were using a passive periphrastic when they used a gerund with 'to be' to show obligation... do you think so? I have only my best guess as to when and why such terms came into use. But I recently found a response to a similar question on the Internet. Who were the first to use terms to indicate different styles of rhetoric?
Rhetoric refers to words such as alliteration, anaphora, syndeton etc. We know that Grammaticus was a term used for a teacher of students of literature and language who would impart the proper use of rhetorical figures so his students could write and give speeches that would be well received by contemporaries. Style was stressed as well as grammar.
The first known reference to rhetorical terminology is cited in Book 3 of Aristotle but it is not a thorough discussion of the terms.
Roman references were as early as 161 B.C. when Cato the Censor chastised those who embellished their speeches with rhetoric.
The Gracchi brothers had been skilled speakers trained by Greek teachers.
Cicero was the first Roman master of the skill of using rhetoric in his speeches and essays, rivaling the Greeks in style and smoothness of the art. Although Cicero was credited with writing the Ad Herennium around 84 B.C., in which Book 4 is dedicated to a discussion of rhetorical figures, the actual author of the book is unknown. The author attempted to give Latin names to the terms but his sources were Greek and the Greek names remain the prevalent ones even today.
Quintilian, (ca. 30-100 A.D.), teacher of rhetoric and orator, wrote the Institutio Oratoria in which he discusses the training of an orator.

• Book I - early childhood education;
• Book II - explanation and uses of rhetoric;
• Book III - the origin of rhetoric and its uses;
• Books IV, V and VI - structure of speech
• Books VII, VIII, IX - arrangement, propriety, illustrations of uses
• Book X - critique of Greek and Roman writers

This is a "for your information only" document.
J.Jahnige Dec. 1998

References:
Carol D. Lanham Rhetorica, Inc.
Oxford Classical Dictionary
Works cited by Ms. Lanham:
Richard A. Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms 2nd ed. 1991;
George Kennedy, Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times 1980.

Grammar Index