Cicero, Orations Vol. 1

who did write something, except for Cicero alone, there exists nothing of anyone that we can bring forth. But even in this great shipwreck of eloquence, great thanks at least should be given by us to the immortal gods for this reason: that they wished this man above all others to survive. For I think so much is to be attributed to Cicero alone that, by the power of his speech alone, I consider the wealth of the Latin language not only to have been equaled with the eloquence of all the Greeks, but to have been rendered far superior. There are three things which ought to be accomplished by the best orator: the listener must be instructed, delighted, and moved. From this, three kinds of speaking have also been born: the plain, the middle, and the grand. The plain is suited for instructing; pleasure is produced by the middle; we are moved by the grand. Those who have been able to attain one of these styles are considered great orators; those who have attained all, the greatest. And indeed, there were some among the Greeks who spoke with a certain subtle style of both thoughts and words with such keenness and elegance that nothing could be more refined or more clearly expressed than them. Others pursued a polished and sweet style of speaking, and delighted the minds of the listeners to the highest degree, and earned for themselves a famous name among orators. Some, more prolific and using a certain greater dignity of oratory, when they applied great force to the minds of men, attained great glory for eloquence themselves. But since not all things are to be said in the same way, but there is a certain and, as it were, proper voice for every single thing, who among them—except for Demosthenes—has been found who, when the matter required it, could speak in a low style on humble subjects, moderately on middle ones, and grandly on ample ones? But unless a speech is distinguished by all these kinds in such a way that that which is most fitting is always preserved, there is no reason for anyone to consider that he has attained exact and absolute eloquence.