3. History of public speaking

     Most academics and others involved with public speaking trace the origins of modern public speaking back to ancient Greece and Rome. Those societies didn't have any of the electronic conveniences we've got today to help with public speaking (no slideshows). But they did have a need for public speaking and developed public speaking methods that are still studied today.

     The ancient Greeks used public speaking primarily to praise or persuade others. At one point, all Greek citizens had the right to suggest or oppose laws during their assemblies, which resulted in a need for skilled public speakers. Public speaking became a desirable skill and was taught. Public speaking in the time of the Greeks was called rhetoric. Later, when Rome came to power, public speaking was used during the sessions of the governing body – the Roman senate. The Romans adopted the public speaking rhetoric methods of the Greeks. In fact, most public speaking teachers of the time were Greek.

     The Latin style of public speaking was popular until the mid-20th century. After World War II, a less formal and more conversational style of speaking started to become popular. Also, electronic tools became available to enhance public presentations. Towards the end of the 20th century, those electronic tools migrated to the computer and evolved into the computer software tools, such as PowerPoint, that we know and use today. Even though today's public speeches are less formal, it's still important that they're well organized. More on that later.