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Quintilian, and J.S. Watson. Institutes of Oratory. Edited by Lee Honeycutt, 2010. Kindle Electronic Edition. Book 12 Chapter 8.
The work of an orator requires a great deal of study and preparation. Quintilian is concerned that orators do not prepare themselves adequately. They need to read and understand all the material related to their cases (Quintilian XII.8.2). Those who do not prepare often try to cover for their lack of preparation. Despite the various ways an orator tries to avoid proper preparations, all can be proven inadequate. Therefore, a responsible orator gains extensive understanding of his cases (Quintilian XII.8.7). Quintilian freely admits that not all evidence will be used in the court. Yet it must all be known to the orator (Quintilian XII.8.14). In this way, the orator can evaluate each argument he may need to answer. He can also consider what the judge would find most compelling (Quintilian XII.8.15).