The purpose of this website is to teach people about rhetoric and the Greek Trilogy.
Rhetoric is an intriguing but somewhat complicated concept to grasp. What is considered rhetoric today, was not what would have been considered rhetoric in ancient Greece where rhetoric all began.
For example, today we consider rhetoric to be all forms of communication, writing and discourse. Everything has a purpose and an angle. Through these forms of communication we inform, persuade and motivate our audience. Persuasion and rhetoric go hand in hand. But in ancient Greece, rhetoric was considered to be exclusively public discourse, or speeches to the masses with the intent to persuade. That being said, each Greek rhetorician of the Greek Trilogy named on this website would define and view rhetoric a little differently.
It is important to understand that each rhetorician of the Greek Trilogy had different epistemologies, and these epistemologies helped to shape their school of thought's understanding and definition of rhetoric. Rhetoric all started with the Greek Trilogy: the Sophists, Plato & Socrates, and Aristotle. So when studying rhetoric, it's important to learn and understand all three schools of thought as a basis for your knowledge of rhetoric. Think of them as building blocks.
While visiting this website, you can find resources to help you in learning about rhetoric and the three schools of thought. Click on a rhetorician to get started, or click on one of the menu options at the top of the screen.