Quintilian, Latin Marcus Fabius Quintilianus, (born ad 35, Calagurris Nassica, Hispania Tarraconensis—died after 96, Rome), Latin teacher and writer. Quintilian was probably educated and trained in oratory in Rome. From about 68 to 88 he taught rhetoric, becoming Rome’s leading teacher, and was an eminent advocate in the law courts. His Institutio oratoria is a practical survey of rhetoric in 12 books and a major contribution to educational theory and literary criticism. His dual emphasis on intellectual and moral training appealed to humanists of the 15th–16th centuries and through them influenced the modern view of education as all-around character training to equip a student for life.
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