226 ALEx DAmm Significantly, these principles find basic expression in the progym- nasmata. For example, when Theon describes the chreia, he recom- mends that it have clear style. And on this point regarding clarity we must place special emphasis. indeed, i wish to highlight principles C and D. These principles are of greatest importance for gauging chreia adaptation, for they are universal: no matter what one’s reasons for adapting a chreia (or anything else), one must express it clearly and ap- propriately. it is plausible to imagine an author clarifying and rendering more appropriate his sources’ contents and style, or at least maintaining what he finds; it is much harder to imagine an author attenuating clarity and propriety. Together, these two virtues are a powerful standard for gauging which of two evangelists improves the other’s chreiai 11. ii. The Chreia of the Widow’s mite (mark 12,41-44 / Luke 21,1-4) in what follows, i shall examine a chreia common to Luke and mark’s Gospels. This chreia constitutes the pericope of the Widow’s mite (mark 12,41-44 / Luke 21,1-4). mark and Luke’s chreiai are expanded chreiai: they contain a narrative introduction followed by a saying, in this case a saying of Jesus 12. As we proceed to illustrate how rhetorical principles infer literary sequence in chreiai, it is important to remember the special importance of clarity and propriety as standards for improve- ment. Significantly, apropos of propriety, the rhetorical handbooks imply that expanded chreiai, which anticipate instructional material (a statement of facts, proposition and proofs) in a fully developed judi- cial speech, ought to have a plain — that is to say, clear, plausible and concise — style 13. We shall use these principles shortly to help infer the more plausible sequence of mark and Luke. 11 DAmm, Ancient Rhetoric and the Synoptic Problem, 58-79, esp. 70, 69-71, 75-76. 12 See K. BErGEr, Formgeschichte des Neuen Testaments (Heidelberg 1984) 80-81. On expanded chreiai, see DAmm, Ancient Rhetoric and the Synoptic Prob- lem, 26, 39-40, and V. K. rOBBinS, “The Chreia”, Greco-Roman Literature and the New Testament. Selected Forms and Genres (ed. D. E. AUnE) (SBL.SBS 21; Atlanta, GA 1988) 1-23. 13 Some writers like Theon claimed that a chreia ought to have a clear and a somewhat elevated, “artful” style. For Theon see Progymnasmata (ed. Spengel) 2.74, 104, 106; Kennedy, Progymnasmata, 22, 23, 24; and DAmm, Ancient Rhet- oric and the Synoptic Problem, 25 n. 146. For the rhetorical handbooks, see DAmm, Ancient Rhetoric and the Synoptic Problem, 62-63, 284-285. For the chreia as anticipating a judicial speech, see DAmm, Ancient Rhetoric and the Synoptic Problem, 34-35, 45-47. The expanded, narrative portion of this chreia (mark