Principles of training communicators. It may entail the study of principles and
rules of composition formulated by critics of ancient times, and it can also
involve the study of writing or speaking as a means of communication or
persuasion. Classical rhetoric probably developed along with democracy in
Syracuse (Sicily) in the 5th century BC, when dispossessed
landowners argued claims before their fellow citizens. Shrewd speakers sought
help from teachers of oratory, called rhetors. This use of
language was of interest to philosophers such as Plato and
Aristotle
because the oratorical arguments called into question the relationships among
language, truth, and morality. The Romans recognized separate aspects of the
process of composing speeches, a compartmentalization that grew more pronounced
with time. Renaissance scholars and poets studied rhetoric closely, and it was a
central concern of humanism. In all times and places where rhetoric has been
significant, listening and reading and speaking and writing have been the
critical skills necessary for effective communication.