History of Memory Techniques
Here is a list of blog posts tagged with "History of Memory Techniques".
Pliny the Elder on Ancient Memory Feats
Pliny the Elder wrote about memory feats in his work, The Natural History. Here are a few things he had to say circa 77-79 C.E. in chapter 24 of book 7.
"In the First Place, in the Second Place"
Have you ever heard that the phrases 'in the first place, in the second place...' may have originated with memory palaces?
A Short Video Tour of Simonides' Village
A few years ago, I made a journey to the village where Simonides of Ceos was born. According to Roman legend, Simonides invented the method of loci.
The History and Evolution of the Major System for Memorizing Numbers
The major system is a technique for memorizing numbers that is at least several hundred years old. The basic idea may even be thousands of years old.
Free PDF Books on Memory Training
While searching for new memory books to read, I came across a few interesting books on memory techniques that are in the public domain.
Giordano Bruno's Memory Systems
Learn about the memory systems of Giordano Bruno.Frances Yates reconstructed Bruno’s mnemonic wheel based on his book De Umbris Idearum.
Quintilian on Memory
Quintilian was a teacher in Ancient Rome who wrote a famous book on rhetoric called Institutio Oratoria which was published around 95 CE.
Simonides of Ceos and the Method of Loci
According to Roman legend, Simonides of Ceos was the inventor of the method of loci. The method of loci allows people to memorize vast amounts of information.
