Final answer:
Quintilian viewed rhetoric as an art form tied to virtue, in line with his Roman background where oratory and virtue were key to public leadership.
Step-by-step explanation:
Quintilian, an educator of rhetoric in ancient Rome, considered rhetoric to be more than a skill; he saw it as an art form closely related to virtue. When looking at the tradition set by the Greeks and embraced by the Romans, the art of rhetoric was essential to public discussion and leadership. Romans encouraged the mastery of oratory, valuing a person's ability to persuade and assert their virtue both in battle and through public discourse.
Although Plato initially opposed sophistry for its lack of concern with truth, later philosophers like Aristotle began to view rhetoric as a crucial counterpart to philosophy. Quintilian himself emphasized the importance of the speaker's moral purpose, making it evident that he favored virtue in his understanding of rhetoric. He linked rhetoric to the natural virtues, indicating that effective and ethical oratory should align with these principles.