Demosthenes, the great stuttering orator

Demosthenes went down in history as the greatest of Greek orators.. That, in itself, is merit enough. However, what is truly amazing about his story is how much she had to do to achieve glory. His is one of the most uplifting stories of great people.

Demosthenes had several physical defects that he had to overcome. His health was very fragile and he was constantly sick. But The most serious thing is that he suffered from stuttering. . This, of course, was a gigantic obstacle to becoming a public figure., as he wanted. However, with perseverance and work, he finally found a way for his voice and his thoughts to be recognized.

“Demosthenes, how much talent he had, received from nature and increased with exercise, he used it all in oratory, surpassing in energy and vehemence all those who competed with him on the platform and in the forum.”.

-Plutarch-

Demosthenes was born in 384 BC, in Athens.. He was the son of a wealthy family. However, his father was a merchant and therefore was not part of the “aristocracy.” The members of this saw the trade as a task of little consideration. Even so, the father of this great orator had many assets. Among them, a knife factory, a furniture factory and an armory.

When Demosthenes was 7 years old he faced the first great obstacle of his life. He was orphaned. The inheritance was entrusted to three guardians, while the boy came of age. Two were his father’s nephews and another was a childhood friend. The temporary custodians gradually squandered this rich inheritance, so that when Demosthenes reached the age to manage it, it no longer existed.

The legend of Demosthenes

Demosthenes was educated as befitted his position. He had major health problems, but he was a curious and motivated student, who always wanted to learn more. That’s why he became a voracious reader. He became one of the young most educated of their time. Beyond this, a story was created around his figure, and I still don’t know what is real and what is legend.

This young Athenian wanted to become the best orator in Greece. He was interested in political issues and he longed for his ideas to become as influential as they were right. He carefully studied the speeches of great orators. It is said that when he was very young he tried to give his first “lecture” and it was a fiasco.

They say that during his first speech he was booed by the audiencewords

A process of evolution

Demosthenes took mockery and criticism as a challenge to his character. He had grown up alone and this had strengthened his temper. That’s why He decided to fight against his own limitations to achieve what he wanted: to be the best speaker.. No one believed he could achieve it: a stutterer wanted to be a speaker?

The story, or legend, tells that Demosthenes imposed a severe regimen on himself to overcome his difficulties.. The first thing he did was shave his head. At that time it was very frowned upon for someone to show themselves if they had no hair. His goal was to force himself not to go out in order to dedicate himself completely to working on his goal. He practiced oratory until dawn.

When the first lights of the Sun rose, Demosthenes went to the beach. There he shouted at the king star with all his might. His goal was to strengthen the lungs. He had accepted the advice of that anonymous person who had made fun of him. After performing that ritual, he returned to his house to practice. He did it in a very particular way. He put a handful of stones in his mouth and put a knife between his teeth.. Thus she forced herself to speak without stuttering.

After several years with this training discipline, Demosthenes managed to speak normally.. Since then, he actively participated in the legal and political life of his city. It is said that his speeches were applauded by thousands of people. He was not only the best speaker, but also an excellent writer. So much so that today, more than 2,000 years later, he is still among the most notable characters in history.

You might be interested…