The art of persuasive speaking and writing. It has been the subject of scholarly study since at least the 4th century bc. It was a central component of Classical learning alongside logic and grammar in both Athens and Rome, where it was divided into three categories: judicial, deliberative, and epideictic. While Classical scholars considered rhetorical skill essential to the good conduct of both politics and philosophy, and as a consequence eminent scholars of the time like Aristotle wrote treatises on the subject, over time, but especially in the Romantic period, rhetoric has come under suspicion for emphasizing persuasiveness over truthfulness. Rhetoric in some contexts, particularly the political arena, has become a code word for empty or insubstantial discourse. In literary studies, rhetoric is treated as a sub-category of style.