Two Books of the Elements of Rhetoric

of business, different classes of topics had to be made. For different materials require different topics. And therefore, so that the selection would not be difficult if all topics were heaped into one pile, the materials are distinguished so that their own topics can be placed under each kind, and once the kind of cause is detected, as if it were a region, everyone immediately knows within which topics the whole matter should be enclosed. What other utilities this partition of business has, we shall show a little later, after examples have been proposed.

Commonly, three kinds of causes are counted. Demonstrative, which contains praise and blame. Deliberative, which is occupied with persuading and dissuading. Judicial, which treats forensic controversies. I believe the didactic Greek: didaskalikon kind should be added; although it pertains to Dialectic, it should not be omitted when kinds of business are being reviewed, especially since at this time it has the greatest use in the Churches, where not only suasory speeches are to be held, but much more often men are to be taught about the dogmas of religion in the manner of Dialecticians, so that they may know them perfectly. The didactic kind is that method of teaching which is handed down in Dialectic, a particle of which Rhetoricians have retained in the status of definition. There is also the demonstrative kind, related to the didactic