Paradeigma (Greek: παραδειγμα) is a Greek term that refers to a pattern, example or sample. In rhetoric, a paradeigma is used to compare the situation of the audience to a similar past event, like a parable. It offers counsel on how the audience should act. In the Greek tradition many paradeigmas are mythological examples, often in reference to a popular legend or well-known character in a similar position to the audience.