During this time of transition from a Republic to an Empire, the strict leadership enabled a lot more fear into Quintilian’s writing in comparison to Cicero. Both of these rhetoricians are in turn concerned with the idea of the “via bonus” or the good man and it can be caused by the idea of this leadership overshadowing their rhetorical beliefs.
More specifically regarding Quintilian, he talks a lot about what it means to be a good man in society and how this can be achieved. On page 166 of the Quintilian of Classical Rhetorical Theory it states, “Desirable qualities such as family, good looks, bodily strength, material resources, and wealth hardly constitute grounds for praise, the one who possesses them are usually not responsible for them.” This quote shows some desirable qualities in a society that an emperor would want in his people. It seems that Quintilian put a negative connotation to them and did not give credit of success towards those who poses the attributes stated.
Furthermore, the discussion of what constitutes a good man in society is important to rhetoricians because it gives an understanding of human character in the culture that you are involved in. It allows the rhetoricians to know their audience, relate to them, and inform them of what it takes to flourish.
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