Putting your own thought into the heads of others is a real art. Like any creativity, it requires some talent and a lot of hard work. If everything is clear with the second, then what about talent? What kind of talent? Putting words into sentences? No, it's easy to learn. Maybe a well-defined and clear speech? It's also easy to get. Exactly! You need charisma! Although no, artistry is also taught. What is this elusive secret… And let's ask those who built an entire state on this, the ancient Roman orators.
Poets are born, speakers are made. (Mark Thulius Cicero, "Speech in defense of Archius")
Oratory in Ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, anyone who was somehow involved in politics was required to master the art of eloquence. Music, painting and other "means of self-expression" - this is all for an idle pastime and "lazy days". Those men who want to be active and useful to society must master the art of oratory. Perform, standing on a huge square, in front of a whole crowd and histo make people believe in their own divinity with words is the work of a true Roman.
Not an intimidating "pilum", not a sharp "gladius" and not even a booming voice of a centurion. The word is the main weapon of the great empire. And the word was used very skillfully. Loud debates and noisy meetings, sayings in the square and private conversation - all this built the largest state institution. And if you decide to lead a political chariot, then first prove that you are a real Roman orator.
But what traits will these soft-spoken warriors have in common? What talent do they have in common? To find out, let's try to take a closer look at the pillars of the oratory of Ancient Rome.
Mark Thulius Cicero
Speaking of oratory, we cannot but mention its brightest representative. The ancient Roman philosopher Cicero was a practical, truly Roman art of eloquence. He received a good education, which, however, could not satisfy his thirst for knowledge. As a teenager, he learned the Greek language and absorbed the knowledge of Hellenic teachers, was fond of oratory and philosophy. Hard work and talent served him well. The first speech, "in defense of Quintius," Cicero delivered at the age of twenty-five. He penetrated the minds of people with words, prompting them to action, and thus paved his way into history.
Nothing should be so wary of in old age as laziness and idleness.
But what about talent? What special skills did he have? Cicero wellunderstood not only rhetoric, but also civil law and philosophy. He believed that a Roman orator needed to be educated, well-read and have some sense of tact. Literature, in his opinion, is great for developing rhetoric skills.
After all, one must not only master wisdom, but also be able to use it.
One of the main skills of Mark Thulius Cicero is to make the story "alive". In his court speeches, often bound to be boring and uniform, all those present drowned. He brilliantly "painted portraits" of the participants and presented the whole picture even brighter than it really is. Humor was used appropriately and made speech natural. Expressive and artistic means were never avoided by him. Lively metaphors and apt comparisons - that's what riveted people's attention to him. And as soon as everyone was captured in the grip of the narrative, the speech gained momentum and ended in a powerful emotional outburst. Opening the human mind and putting the right feelings into it is the work of a true master.
Speech should flow and develop from knowledge of the subject. If the speaker has not studied it, then all eloquence is a futile, childish effort.
Seneca the Elder
Why Senior? He is also called Seneca the Father. He was the parent of the famous Stoic philosopher Seneca. Here we will talk about the father, because the son put his soul not into rhetoric, but into the development of the philosophy of stoicism. An extremely interesting topic, but about it another time.
OnSeneca never enjoyed the fame of a professional rhetorician, which, however, did not prevent him from attending oratory events. On them, he absorbed knowledge and analyzed the speeches of others. This fact of presence allowed him to write an essay in which he characterizes the orators of his time. The Roman orator Seneca, not inferior to his inspirer - Cicero, paints vivid pictures and depicts rhetors in every detail, seasoning it all with witty anecdotes. Seneca quotes are less likely to refer to politics.
Mark Antony Cicero is not an enemy, but a remorse.
Seneca admired the famous orator Cicero and his consistency. He was alien to the extremes of oratory, developing after the death of Mark Thulius. And the influence of the "spiritual mentor" is clearly visible. Of course, this is not an absolute similarity, only some, barely noticeable paths of thought. If Cicero, being a lover of tragic and epic works, reflects in his speeches a high appeal and heroic readiness, then Seneca succeeded much more in matters of humor. He perfectly inserted it under the support of the text, not allowing the narrative to collapse. A great quote by Seneca, often forgotten by many:
To be able to speak is a less important virtue than to be able to stop.
Marc Fabius Quintilian
Quintilian was destined for an oratorical path from childhood. His father and grandfather were rhetoricians. He received a good education in Rome and was preparing to appear in court. However, despite good practicecourt orator, devoted himself entirely to teaching. His theoretical notes were used everywhere and carried a storehouse of knowledge for aspiring rhetoricians. Some contemporaries even put him on the same level as Cicero.
What could be more honest and noble than teaching others what you know best?
General popularity descended on him during the reign of Domitian. Glorifying the bloody dictator, he knew a sudden rise to the pinnacle of glory. But let's not judge history from above. His life, however, was not as cloudless as his career. Having lost his wife and two sons, he was left alone, which was aggravated by the growing terror of Domitian. By passing so tragically, he left behind a legacy that future generations of speakers have enjoyed.
Mark Valery Messala Korvin
The path of Mark Valery was a little different from the previous speakers. He spent most of his life on the battlefield and in public affairs. He started as a legate and ended up as the most respected person in the Senate. Messala's military life was full of difficulties, and he did not always serve the same commander. However, according to his contemporaries, he was not without nobility.
In oratory, he succeeded no less than in the military. Messala was one of the pioneers of the oratory of his time. Many of those who were unknown at that time, but for whom fate had prepared a great recognition, spoke very highly of the speeches of the then well-known orator Messala. Cicero admires his speech, Quintiliannotes the nobility of his style, and teachers of eloquence often use his oratorical style as the basis for teaching.
Talent or hard work?
What do all these people have in common? What thread connects them? Active Cicero, attentive Seneca, inquisitive Quintilian, experienced Messala. They did not "push" smart speeches immediately after birth, they did not become brilliant children. The great orators of Ancient Rome studied all the wisdom throughout their lives. Each suffered a different fate, each used different teaching methods.
But we pulled them out of the bowels of history precisely in order to look for the general, not the particular. And without an answer, we will not let them go. Cicero was undoubtedly very greedy for knowledge. He concluded that the most important thing for a real Roman orator is a broad outlook. Seneca began his journey to the top of the podium by constantly listening to other rhetors. Quintilian was absorbed in theory and examined every thing in detail. Messala was engrossed in state and military politics, which means that her speeches were full of knowledge.
Sorcerer's "Philosopher's Stone"
So the main thing for a speaker is a thirst for knowledge. Indeed, diction, literacy and speech construction can be learned, but the breadth of consciousness is not such an obvious "skill".
As soon as we are born, we already find ourselves in a chaos of false opinions and, almost with the milk of a nurse, one might say, drink in delusions. Mark Thulius Cicero, "Tusculan Talks"
If everyone is watching the shadows on the cave wall together, they can hardly assume that it is better outside. And the speaker's job is to convince them to look out of the cocoon and at least catch a glimpse of the real world. But for this, he himself must first escape from the gloomy captivity.
