Editing Public speaking (section)

=== Rome ===
[[File:Cicero Denounces Catiline in the Roman Senate by Cesare Maccari.png|thumb|A portrait of [[Cicero]], an orator during the [[Roman Empire]], addressing the [[Roman Senate]], depicted in ''Cicero Denounces Catiline'', an 1889 fresco by [[Cesare Maccari]]]]

During the political rise of the [[Roman Republic]], Roman orators copied and modified the ancient Greek techniques of public speaking. Instruction in rhetoric developed into a full curriculum, including instruction in grammar (study of the poets), preliminary exercises ([[progymnasmata]]), and preparation of public speeches (declamation) in both [[Forensic linguistics|forensic]] and [[Deliberative rhetoric|deliberative]] genres.

In [[Latin]], rhetoric was heavily influenced by [[Cicero]], an orator during the [[Roman Empire]], and emphasized a broad education in all areas of the [[humanities]]. Other areas of rhetorical study included the use of wit and humor, the [[Pathos|appeal to the listener's emotions]], and the use of [[digression]]s. Oratory in the [[Roman empire|Roman Empire]], though less central to political life than during the Republic, remained important in law and entertainment. Famous orators were celebrities in ancient Rome, becoming wealthy and prominent in society.

The ornate Latin style was the primary form of oration through the mid-20th century. After [[World War II]] and the increased use of film and television, the Latin oration style began to fall out of favor. This cultural change likely had to do with the rise of the [[scientific method]] and the emphasis on a "plain" style of speaking and writing. Even today's formal oratory is much less ornate than in the Classical Era.