Abstract: Aristotle's use of endoxa (generally accepted opinions) in his account of emotions, Rhetoric 2.1–11, 1378a-1388b, is analysed from the perspective of authorial style and the audience. When Aristotle says (1.1.12, 1355a), that speeches for the "multitude" ( polloi ) should rely on generally accepted opinions, he reveals the significance of endoxa in illuminating the perspectives of the non-elite. The use of endoxa imports the language of "everybody," which has implications for how the work operates and its relationship to a democratic audience. The integration of familiar phrasing and vocabulary enhances its cogency for a heterogeneous audience. The explicit framing of shared views, signposted by collective language, sits alongside implicit engagement with both views and vocabulary that would be familiar to the audience from tragedy. Endoxa shed light on Aristotle's status as a writer, the cultural situatedness of his ideas, and the appeal of Rhetoric to a wider public.