Tips From Cicero

In his time - and even now - Cicero was considered by his peers and much of the general public as a master of public discourse. When it came to oratory, Cicero was viewed as having few equals. As written by author Anthony Everitt, this statesman, lawyer and politician - back in the times of Ancient Rome - was was seen as being as eloquent as he was logical, as persuasive as he was compelling. In short, Cicero was perhaps among the first of mankind's great communicators. Given that, what was his secret? What tips did he have to help the rest of us who try to be at least adequate in the realm of public speaking?

The good news is Cicero actually did share some public speaking guides that even today, over 2,000 years after his death, are worth noting. Here are a few: speakers should try to vary and modulate their voice, deploying the "full scale of tones;" a speaker should control him or her self in terms of how they move their body; a speaker should keep pacing to a minimum; a speaker should control their eyes for "as the face is the image of the soul the eyes are its translators;" and a speaker should express grief or hilarity depending upon that about which they are talking. These and others tips are taken from Cicero's various books on oratory and compiled by author Everitt in his biography of Cicero.

For myself, I have always believed when it comes to public speaking, one should true to themself in the sense they must converse I ways in which they feel most comfortable. For instance, if one prefers to move back and forth on a stage rather than standing behind a podium, then that is what they should do. Cicero disagrees with that. While communication often revolves around an individual or personal style, I concede that much of that ancient statesman's perspectives remain worth noting. All of us should assess the best and try to apply their wisdom to our own styles. One could do much worse than following Cicero's suggestions.