Simile is one of the basic terms of literary criticism. Greek rhetoricians placed the highest value on simile among other rhetorical devices. As is the case with modern scholars, Greek authors varied in their understanding of this term. A more detailed approach within the post-Aristotelian tradition specifies the old characteristics and terms and introduces new ones. Having analysed the relevant contexts the author of the article comes to the conclusion that the rhetorical tradition comprised works of various genres. Depending on their goals they considered the issue of simile from different points of view.