Interesting Facts and The History of Public Speaking
“The use of rational speech is more distinctive of a human being than the use of his limbs.” – Aristotle The roots of the tradition of public speaking can be traced back to the ancient Greek period when the scholars elaborated and developed novel techniques of p ublic speakin g . Public speaking was considered imperative to facilitate political debate and participation in assemblies. They understood the power of words and the impact the powerful words had on the audience. And “rhetoric” became a quintessential tool to make public speaking more effective. Oxford dictionary defines “ rhetoric ” as “the art of using language so as to persuade or influence others; the body of rules to be observed by a speaker or writer in order that he may express himself with eloquence”. About 2500 years ago four Ancient Greek scholars developed and mastered the art of rhetoric in public speaking. They are also known as the “ fantastic four ” – Aspasia , Socrates , Plato , and Aristotle .