After the prefaces came surveys of the treatment of particular controversia-themes by noted declaimers of the past. These surveys, in line with the title of the anthology, usually contain three main sections, the first presenting "sententiae" the 'ways of thinking' adopted by the various declaimers about their set themes, while the second section is devoted to "divisiones" , outlines of their argumentation, and the third to "colores", the specious interpretations which they gave to the actions of their imaginary defendants, with a view to excusing or vilifying them.