▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁ways ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁self . ▁In ▁a ▁society ▁without ▁much ▁written ▁documentation , ▁memory ▁training ▁was ▁a ▁big ▁part ▁of ▁Roman ▁education . ▁Or ators , ▁leaders , ▁and ▁po ets ▁al ike ▁used ▁memory ▁training ▁devices ▁or ▁memory ▁pal aces ▁to ▁help ▁give ▁speech es ▁or ▁tell ▁long ▁ep ic ▁po ems . ▁In ▁The ▁Natural ▁History , ▁Pl iny ▁writes : It ▁would ▁be ▁far ▁from ▁easy ▁to ▁pron ounce ▁what ▁person ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁most ▁remarkable ▁for ▁the ▁excell ence ▁of ▁his ▁memory , ▁that ▁bless ing ▁so ▁essential ▁for ▁the ▁enjoy ment ▁of ▁life , ▁there ▁being ▁so ▁many ▁that ▁were ▁celebrated ▁for ▁it . ▁King ▁C yrus ▁knew ▁all ▁the ▁soldiers ▁of ▁his ▁army ▁by ▁name : ▁L . ▁Sci pio ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁all ▁the ▁Roman ▁people . ▁ ▁Memory ▁pal aces ▁provided ▁an ▁aid ▁for ▁remember ing ▁certain ▁key ▁ideas . ▁By ▁assigning ▁locations ▁in ▁their ▁homes ▁for ▁different ▁ideas , ▁po ets ▁or ▁the ▁like ▁could ▁walk ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁through ▁their ▁house , ▁recall ing ▁ideas ▁with ▁every ▁step . ▁Memory ▁training ▁often ▁involved ▁assigning ▁ideas ▁to ▁wall ▁paint ings , ▁floor ▁m osa ics , ▁and ▁sculpt ures ▁that ▁ad orn ed ▁many ▁ancient ▁Roman ▁homes . ▁The ▁pun ishment ▁of ▁dam nat io ▁mem oria e ▁involved ▁alter ing ▁the ▁rooms , ▁many ▁times ▁destroy ing ▁or ▁tam per ing ▁with ▁the ▁art ▁in ▁their ▁homes ▁as ▁well , ▁so ▁the ▁house ▁would ▁no ▁longer ▁be