Oratorum sententiae divisiones colores

work by Seneca

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July 1, 2026

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The work Oratorum sententiae divisiones colores was written by Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the elder, a Roman author and rhetorician. This text, meaning "Sentences, Divisions, and Colors of the Orators and Rhetoricians," focused on rhetorical exercises.1

Only a portion of Seneca's work survives, with a later epitome preserving additional content, including prefaces that offer vivid descriptions of the individuals he quotes. Seneca favored the disciplined style of Cicero over the artificial cleverness of many declaimers, yet he preserved about 100 examples of declamatory art. His prefaces also contain amusing observations on the literary life of the early Roman Empire.1

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Lucius Annaeus Seneca
…about half of his book, Oratorum sententiae divisiones colores (“Sentences, Divisions, and Colors of the Orators and Rhetoricians”) survives; a 4th-century epitome preserves some of the rest, including two more prefaces, giving lively sketches of the persons whom he quotes. He was the father of the philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca,…
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…about half of his book, Oratorum sententiae divisiones colores (“Sentences, Divisions, and Colors of the Orators and Rhetoricians”) survives; a 4th-century epitome preserves some of the rest, including two more prefaces, giving lively sketches of the persons whom he quotes. He was the father of the philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca,…
Read More