Orator - Definition and Overview

Orator is a Latin word for speaker (from the Latin verb oro, meaning "I speak" or "I pray").

In ancient Rome, the art of speaking in public (Ars Oratoria) was a professional competence especially cultivated by politicians and lawyers.

It later was developed into rhetoric.

In the 18th century, 'Orator' John Henley was famous for his eccentric sermons.

In the 19th century, orators and lecturers, such as Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Col. Robert G. Ingersoll were major providers of popular entertainment.

Adolf Hitler is widely regarded by historians as a master orator; his speeches would begin very slowly and gradually build up to an almost ecstatic and frenzied climax that would drive the massive audiences absolutely beserk. One can witness first hand the hypnotic and mesmerizing power of Hitler's speeches by watching the famous Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will which was released in 1934, one year after Hitler ascended to power and established Nazi Germany.

In some universities the title 'Orator' is given to the official whose task it is to give speeches on ceremonial occasions, such as the presentation of honorary degrees.

Famous orators

• Abd-el-Kader (Algerian)
• Attic orators (Greece)
• Cicero (Roman)
• Lucius Licinius Crassus (Roman)
• Adolf Hitler (Austrian)