For example, memory systems were used to memorizeVirtues and Vices, and some priests and philosophers taught thatmemory systems showed вЂњhow to reach Heaven and avoid Hell.вЂќ Thomas Aquinas was to become its patronsaint, instrumental in making the art of trained memory a devotionaland ethical art.Дuring the Middle Ages, monks and philosophers were virtually theonly people who knew about and applied trained-memory techniques.The systems, whose use was mostly limited to religion, were basic tosome religions. If Simonides was the inventor of the art of trained memory, and Ciceroits greatest early teacher, St. we learn that вЂњA great and beautiful invention is memory, always useful both for learningand for life.вЂќ And Aristotle, after praising memory systems, said thatвЂњthese habits too will make a man readier in reasoning.вЂќ The ancients also knew that memory training could help the thinkingprocess itself. вЂњWe should never have realized how great is the power,вЂќ wrote the philosopher Quintilian, вЂњnor howdivine it is, but for the fact that it is memory which has brought oratory to its present position of glory.вЂќ ItвЂ™s important to realize that oratory was an important career duringthose early days. It is from this вЂњplaceвЂќ orвЂњlociвЂќ memory technique that we get the time-worn phrase вЂњin the firstplace.вЂќДЄlthough Simonides (circa 500 B.C.) is known as the father of the art oftrained memory, scraps of parchment dating back a thousand years or sobefore Simonides state that memory techniques were an essential part ofthe oratorвЂ™s equipment.Д¬icero wrote that the memories of the lawyers and orators of his timewere aided by systems and training and in De oratore he described how he himself applied memory systems. The second вЂњplace,вЂќ the foyer, reminded him of the nextthought and so on to the end of the speech. Thinking of the front door reminded him of the first thought ofhis speech. When the orator wanted to remember his speech,thought for thought, he actually took a mental tour through his ownhome. These were called вЂњloci,вЂќ or вЂњplaces.вЂќ Theopening thought of a speech would, perhaps, be associated to the frontdoor, the second thought to the foyer, the third to a piece of furniture inthe foyer, and so on. What they did, basically, was associate each thought of a speech to apart of their own homes.

There were no handy note-takingdevices, and it was memory techniques and systems that enabled bardsand storytellers to remember their stories, poems, and songs.Д®arly Greek and Roman orators delivered lengthy speeches withunfailing accuracy because they learned the speeches, thought forthought, by applying memory systems. In the ancient world, a trainedmemory was of vital importance.

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