Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 5 days ago

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In this episode of the Toldinstone Podcast, Dr. Gregory Aldrete and I discuss how Roman orators used rhetorical tricks and hand gestures to win friends and influence people.

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Chapters:
0:00 Rhetoric in ancient Rome
7:36 Rhetorical education
10:23 Good orators, bad orators
15:01 Rhetoric's bad reputation
19:24 Audiences
22:19 The importance of gestures
27:48 Recovering Roman sign language
30:00 Did HBO get it right?
35:46 How Roman crowds responded
42:14 Rhetorical gestures today
46:33 Parting words