Rhetoric could be considered the “crossroads” for the Trivium.  This is where the action lies.  “Persuasion,” like so many terms that attempt to distill/bottle human activity, doesn't really tell us all we want to know.  Humans are social creatures and the societies we build are driven by rhetoric.  Actors – of all kinds – are rhetoricians.  To ​be effective in the world, to have agency, we must study and, ultimately, master rhetoric.  For some, this mastery facilitates manipulation; for others it allows the truth to be told.  Learning how to tell the difference is among humanity's greatest challenge.