Quintilian

Marcus Fabius Quintilianus was born around 35 AD in Calagurris (modern Calahorra) in Spain. He came to Rome, studied rhetoric, and became the most famous teacher of his generation. Vespasian appointed him to the first publicly funded chair of rhetoric in Rome. His pupils included Pliny the Younger and probably Tacitus.

His Institutio Oratoria (The Education of the Orator) in twelve books is the most comprehensive ancient treatise on education and rhetoric. It covers everything from the child's earliest education through advanced rhetorical training, including a famous survey of Greek and Latin literature (Book X). The final book describes the ideal orator as a 'good man skilled in speaking'.

Quintilian's prose is elegant, his judgements balanced and humane. He advocates against corporal punishment and insists that moral character is the foundation of eloquence. The Institutio was rediscovered in full by Poggio Bracciolini in 1416 and profoundly influenced Renaissance education.