Composition in the Classical Tradition borrows from late antiquity a series of composition exercises called the progymnasmata to teach the art of persuasion. The exercises apply an understanding of the invention and composition of arguments from ancient rhetoric to a writer's own forms of persuasive communication. This book is structured to provide an effectively graded sequence of exercises, manageable at each step, from the simple to the more difficult and from the concrete to the abstract, within an explicit rhetorical framework. Learn how to compose an essay or a speech by first becoming proficient at its parts Composition in the Classical Tradition features a variety of ancient forms myths, historical episodes, descriptions, fables, proverbs, anecdotes, and speeches for readers to enjoy while learning how to write and speak persuasively. For anyone interested in composition and classical rhetoric.