In antiquity, oratory glory of M. Cornelius Fronto was second only to Cicero’s, but today he is known as a tutor of M. Aurelius and L. Verus. Their correspondence reflects Fronto’s didactic principles and gives an account of his archaistic literary tastes. Fronto creates a reading canon based on stylistic hierarchy and ability to find appropriate words in pre-classical authors. One can speak of almost obsessive Fronto’s concern about the right choice of words. Even Cicero does not meet these requirements perfectly: he enjoys the fame of a great orator but does not seem to be careful enough about word selection.