The Best Kind of Orator - Classic Text | Alexandria
The Best Kind of Orator (De Optimo Genere Oratorum), composed by Marcus Tullius Cicero around 46 BCE, stands as a pivotal treatise on rhetorical theory and practice, serving both as a preface to his now-lost translation of famous Greek orations and as a comprehensive manifesto on the ideal nature of public speaking. This relatively brief yet influential work represents Cicero's mature thoughts on oratory, distilling decades of experience as Rome's preeminent orator and statesman into a concentrated examination of eloquence.
Written during a period of political upheaval in the twilight of the Roman Republic, the text emerged when Cicero, largely sidelined from public life under Caesar's dominance, turned his formidable intellect to theoretical works. The treatise appears against the backdrop of ongoing debates between Atticists, who advocated for a plain speaking style, and Asiatics, who favored more ornate rhetoric. Cicero's work skillfully navigates these competing schools of thought while advancing his own vision of the perfect orator.
The text's enduring significance lies in its sophisticated synthesis of Greek and Roman rhetorical traditions, presenting a model of oratory that emphasizes versatility, judgment, and ethical responsibility. Cicero argues that the supreme orator must master three essential styles: plain, middle, and grand, deploying each appropriately according to the situation. Perhaps most intriguingly, the work contains subtle political undertones, with Cicero's advocacy for broad-based eloquence reflecting his republican ideals and resistance to authoritarian tendencies in Roman society.
The influence of "The Best Kind of Orator" reverberates through centuries of rhetorical education and political discourse. Its principles shaped Renaissance humanism, Enlightenment political theory, and modern approaches to public speaking. Today, as societies grapple with questions of political discourse and democratic participation, Cicero's insights into the relationship between eloquence and civic virtue remain remarkably relevant. One might wonder: in our era of rapid communication and changing media landscapes, what would Cicero consider the "best kind of orator" for our time?