Suetonius, De Grammaticis et Rhetoribus
(On Teachers of Grammar and Rhetoric)

Excerpts -- Adam Kissel

(4.4) The early grammarians used to teach rhetoric also, and there are in circulation treatises by many of them on both skills. (4.5) Following this custom, I believe, the teachers who came later--though the professions were already distinct--none the less maintained or introduced on their own certain kinds of exercises designed to pave the way to eloquence--for example, set themes, paraphrases, addresses, statements of cause, and other things of this sort--so that their pupils' speech would not be altogether unadorned and dry when they were handed over to the teachers of rhetoric. (4.6) I see that nowadays these things are left out of the curriculum through the sloth and inarticulateness of certain teachers--for I should not think that disdain could be the cause.

(17.1) Marcus Verrius Flaccus, a freedman, gained fame especially from the character of his teaching: for he made a general practice of pitting students of similar ages and attainments against one another in competition [cf. Comenius], to give their talents a workout, and would propose not only the subject for their compositions but also a prize for the winner--typically, some old book that was attractive or rare.

(24.1) Marcus Valerius Probus, of Berytus, long sought the centurionate but finally gave up in disgust and devoted himself to scholarship. (24.2) For he had previously read certain old books with a grammatista in the province, where the memory of the ancient authors was still alive and had not yet passed entirely away as it had at Rome: since he wished to resume and deepen his study of these texts, and then to extend his study to others, though he perceived that they were all held in contempt and brought disgrace, rather than honor and profit, to their readers, he none the less persevered and gathered together many copies, which he took care to correct, punctuate, and mark with critical signs, giving himself over only to this aspect of grammar and no other. (24.3) He had a number of followers--it would not be correct to call them 'students,' for he never gave instruction in such a way as to assume the role of a schoolmaster: he used to receive one or two of these followers--at most, three or four--in the afternoon; and while reclining and engaging in long, commonplace conversations, he would read some passages--and even that quite seldom. (24.4) He published a very few, slight works on certain specific questions of limited scope, but he left behind an abundant trove of observations on ancient usage.