“Argumentative Devices in the Rhetorica ad Alexandrum”

In this paper I have first taken into account the relationship between the Rhetoric to Alexander and the Rhetoric of Aristotle. After stressing the peculiarities of the two works I have called attention on some of the pisteis, which Aristotle calls 'entechnoi' and I have examined the logical process which leeds the hearer to persuasion. One after the other 'eikos', 'paradeigma', 'tekmerion', 'enthymeme' are discussed in relationship to the notions of 'probability', frequency and contrariety.