<P> In 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 and deliberative genres . </P> <P> The Latin style of rhetoric was heavily influenced by Cicero and involved a strong emphasis on a broad education in all areas of humanistic study in the liberal arts, including philosophy . Other areas of study included the use of wit and humor, the appeal to the listener's emotions, and the use of digressions . Oratory in the Roman empire, though less central to political life than in the days of the Republic, remained significant in law and became a big form of entertainment . Famous orators became like celebrities in ancient Rome--very wealthy and prominent members of society . </P> <P> The Latin style was the primary form of oration until the beginning of the 20th century . After World War II, however, the Latin style of oration began to gradually grow out of style as the trend of ornate speaking became seen as impractical . 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 formal oratory is much less ornate today than it was in the Classical Era . </P> <P> Despite the shift in style, the best - known examples of strong public speaking are still studied years after their delivery . Among these examples are Pericles' Funeral Oration in 427 BCE addressing those that died during the Peloponnesian War; Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in 1863; Sojourner Truth's identification of racial issues in "Ain't I a Woman?"; and Mahatma Gandhi's message of nonviolent resistance in India, which in turn inspired Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech at the Washington Monument in 1963 . </P>

The practice of giving speeches was originally known as