exemplum

Exemplum (plural exempla) is a short narrative used in classical rhetoric and medieval literature to illustrate a point or moral. The term derives from Latin exemplum, meaning “example” or “pattern.” In ancient rhetoric, exempla were cited as specific instances or stories to make abstract arguments concrete; they could be drawn from history, biographies, or fables and were used across forensic, deliberative, and epideictic contexts.

In medieval and early Christian discourse, exempla became a prominent teaching device in sermons and scholastic writing. Compilers collected exempla about saints, virtues or vices, and anecdotes that demonstrated ethical lessons; preachers would recount such stories to persuade audiences and model behavior. The device influenced later narrative forms and remained common in both secular and religious literature.

Distinctions and relationships: An exemplum is a narrative intended to illustrate a point, often plausible or historical, whereas a parable conveys moral or spiritual truth through symbolic comparison, and a fable uses animals or inanimate agents. The boundaries can blur, and some exempla function as early anecdotes that resemble parables or fables in later genres.

In modern literary and rhetorical studies, exempla are analyzed as a traditional mechanism for grounding argument in concrete example and as a cultural artifact of its historical contexts.