An Introduction to Rhetoric Part 2

The context for the emergence of rhetoric begins with these Greeks, particularly those involved with the emerging democracy in Athens. Unlike the oligarchy that the citizens of Athens were familiar with, the new democracy demanded that citizens present their disputes before judges, and their legislative ideas before the public assembly of citizens. This created a need for citizens to learn how to persuasively argue their cases.

You can see the beginnings here of the three "genres" of rhetoric, or "speech topics" described by Aristotle: judicial rhetoric, and deliberative rhetoric. the thrid genre, epideictic rhetoric is the speech that honors, praises, or blames. It is more ceremonial in nature, like the toast the best man gives at the wedding reception.