Gregory Aldrete

Yeah. I mean, one of the things Cicero did is he wrote at least three of these sort of handbooks about how to be a good public speaker. So we know a lot about that. We have his own speeches that survive, and then we have later people after Cicero who wrote about what Cicero did too. So we know a lot about what he did.

And the key to Cicero's whole enterprise about persuading an audience, let's say either in a speech to the people or in the courtroom, is Cicero believed that people are fundamentally ruled by emotion. So if you can touch their emotions, all sorts of other things become less important.

And the key to Cicero's whole enterprise about persuading an audience, let's say either in a speech to the people or in the courtroom, is Cicero believed that people are fundamentally ruled by emotion. So if you can touch their emotions, all sorts of other things become less important.

And the key to Cicero's whole enterprise about persuading an audience, let's say either in a speech to the people or in the courtroom, is Cicero believed that people are fundamentally ruled by emotion. So if you can touch their emotions, all sorts of other things become less important.

If you can get a jury emotionally worked up and fear, anger are particularly powerful there, then the facts might not matter. The truth might not matter. Evidence might not matter. Reason might not matter. Emotion is the key to everything. So Cicero used what I would arguably call a lot of tricks to get his audiences emotionally riled up.

If you can get a jury emotionally worked up and fear, anger are particularly powerful there, then the facts might not matter. The truth might not matter. Evidence might not matter. Reason might not matter. Emotion is the key to everything. So Cicero used what I would arguably call a lot of tricks to get his audiences emotionally riled up.

If you can get a jury emotionally worked up and fear, anger are particularly powerful there, then the facts might not matter. The truth might not matter. Evidence might not matter. Reason might not matter. Emotion is the key to everything. So Cicero used what I would arguably call a lot of tricks to get his audiences emotionally riled up.

And you can just go through these, and they're all the stuff you were saying, name-calling, mudslinging, us-versus-them arguments. you know, ad hominem attacks. I mean, incredibly sophisticated. All the stuff that we think of today is, oh, very sophisticated techniques for, you know, propaganda and persuasion. It's not new.

And you can just go through these, and they're all the stuff you were saying, name-calling, mudslinging, us-versus-them arguments. you know, ad hominem attacks. I mean, incredibly sophisticated. All the stuff that we think of today is, oh, very sophisticated techniques for, you know, propaganda and persuasion. It's not new.

And you can just go through these, and they're all the stuff you were saying, name-calling, mudslinging, us-versus-them arguments. you know, ad hominem attacks. I mean, incredibly sophisticated. All the stuff that we think of today is, oh, very sophisticated techniques for, you know, propaganda and persuasion. It's not new.

People aren't coming up with that much that's new outside the realm of technology. Human nature is the same. Cicero understood human psychology. He knew how to play on people. He knew how to play on their emotions. And he would do just, I mean, I want to say hilarious, but they're sort of depressingly hilarious things. Like he thought it's important to use props.

People aren't coming up with that much that's new outside the realm of technology. Human nature is the same. Cicero understood human psychology. He knew how to play on people. He knew how to play on their emotions. And he would do just, I mean, I want to say hilarious, but they're sort of depressingly hilarious things. Like he thought it's important to use props.

People aren't coming up with that much that's new outside the realm of technology. Human nature is the same. Cicero understood human psychology. He knew how to play on people. He knew how to play on their emotions. And he would do just, I mean, I want to say hilarious, but they're sort of depressingly hilarious things. Like he thought it's important to use props.

So he said, you know, people are visual. They will respond emotionally to visual things in a way that just words alone won't work. So he says, in order is just like an actor. And like an actor, he has to prepare his stage and use props and, you know, things as – visual cues to stir up the audience.

So he said, you know, people are visual. They will respond emotionally to visual things in a way that just words alone won't work. So he says, in order is just like an actor. And like an actor, he has to prepare his stage and use props and, you know, things as – visual cues to stir up the audience.

So he said, you know, people are visual. They will respond emotionally to visual things in a way that just words alone won't work. So he says, in order is just like an actor. And like an actor, he has to prepare his stage and use props and, you know, things as – visual cues to stir up the audience.

So for example, once he was defending a man in a court case who had just had a new baby born to him, and Cicero literally delivered the defense oration for this guy while cradling his newborn son in his arms. You can imagine, oh, cute little baby, jury, how could you find him guilty and leave this cute baby without a father to take care of him?

So for example, once he was defending a man in a court case who had just had a new baby born to him, and Cicero literally delivered the defense oration for this guy while cradling his newborn son in his arms. You can imagine, oh, cute little baby, jury, how could you find him guilty and leave this cute baby without a father to take care of him?

So for example, once he was defending a man in a court case who had just had a new baby born to him, and Cicero literally delivered the defense oration for this guy while cradling his newborn son in his arms. You can imagine, oh, cute little baby, jury, how could you find him guilty and leave this cute baby without a father to take care of him?

Another time he was defending a guy who had a photogenic son, a kind of a young boy. And Cicero literally propped up the kid behind him while he was giving the speech and again said, look at his eyes brimming with tears, thinking about his father being punished. How could you leave this wonderful boy without – You know, a father to care for him.