One thing is for sure. Ancient Greeks did nothing by accident. Behind every decision, there was reasoning. So, is there a way to use the knowledge of the past to benefit our modern day-to-day life?

So many times we find ourselves in situations where we have to stand in front of an audience to express our point of view, present our work or even make an argument in our favor. Stress, racing heart, and a strong need to hide in the first hiding place we could find are the most common reactions! I was wondering how could we help not only ourselves but young students and later adults gain confidence and become communicatively flexible.

The word “Parrisia” popped into my mind. “Parrisia” was the right of every ancient Athenian citizen to express his opinion with courage and honesty on all subjects. The etymology of the word comes from the words “pas” + “risis” and means “everyone says”. In the “Ekklisia”, where the ancient Athenians used to gather to take decisions democratically, an ordinary citizen’s speech and an eminent philosopher’s speech were equated, since the Ancient Greeks hoped that gathering various opinions could lead to the right decision every time.

But the question naturally arises, how do you prepare each citizen to express himself with completeness and self-confidence even when facing orators and philosophers? Perhaps a look at the educational system of 5th century Athens with a more modern approach could help us.

The Athenian educational system aimed at making every single citizen capable of supporting his point of view, defending himself without legal help, and expressing concerns about daily and political life.

Children from an early age used to learn writing, reading, mathematics, music, and gymnastics. Therefore, intellectual, mental, and physical skills were cultivated to avoid cowardice and wickedness.

After reaching adolescence, a holistic educational approach was applied. Firstly, Athens was an important educational center, where well-known philosophy schools were operating with fees. Young people were taught the principles of dialogue, using the highly cultivated Greek language, and learned to substantiate their thinking with arguments based on logic and critical thinking.

Secondly, the institution of the symposium favored young people’s practice in rhetoric. Famous symposiums were events where men gathered to engage in philosophical discussions accompanied by wine. Everyone had the right to participate equally in these discussions but without monopolizing it.

Finally, through watching theatrical performances (ancient Greek tragedies, comedies, satires) the audience would learn about values and ideals, while entertaining.

Therefore, perhaps the solution to the problem of public speaking lies in continuous and multifaceted cultivation. If each one of us focuses on lifelong learning by continuously studying and updating, throws himself/herself into public and private dialogue at every opportunity that pops up, and at the same time cultivates his soul through arts, then the person becomes familiar with public speaking and, above all, knows exactly what to say and how to say it.

The ancient Greeks knew, let’s use it to our advantage.

Giovanna GR ☀️

*I’ve used only male gender, because in Ancient Greece only men had political rights. Fortunately, after years fighting for the women rights, things have changed since then!