History, Rhetoric, and Proof Book

For Chapter 1

p. 39-40 - "Proofs can be divided into 'artificial' and 'non-artificial.' Among the latter Aristotle mentions 'witnesses, tortures, contracts, and the like' a list that speaks (among other things) of a society that, like Athens in the fourth century B.C., heavily relied on written evidence.

p. 40 - continues on about enthymeme and epideictic rhetoric

"'The material of enthymemes,' Aristotle writes, 'is derived from four sources--likelihood, example, necessary sign, and sign.' The accuser is in a difficult situation: his conclusions can be easily rejected, in so far as they are related to what takes place 'in the majority of cases.' But, being based on a conclusion that is 'likely' and not 'necessary,' their confutation is only apparent. Even enthymemes based on examples and signs are related to the realm of likelihood. Only enthymemes based on necessary signs can lead to conclusions that are beyond refutation."

p. 50 - "Judges are concerned only with events leading to individual responsibilities, historians are not."

"The way in which these supposedly uninteresting facts [judiciary sources] can sometimes be transformed into 'events of general interest' does not concern us here."