But we are talking here of the famous Greek orator Demosthenes (384 – 322 B.C.) Many statesmen -from Cicero to Disraeli and Churchill – have looked to him for lessons, in how to move a political audience with speech.
What an irony that fluent speakers would study the life of a stutterer to improve their speech. Like Stevie Wonder, his greatest asset was hidden in his so-called disability.
He could not have one without the other; he came to terms with his speech impediment and learned to embrace it. I am not saying it was easy, as we will see when we examine the life of Demosthenes, but who says life is supposed to be a stroll in the park?
Blessing in disguise
Feelings of low self esteem and self pity have to go for any disabled person to make it in life. You cannot spend the rest of your life blaming God for your condition, have you ever thought that maybe it could be a “blessing in disguise”? God does not make mistakes; the sooner you come to terms with your disability the sooner you will discover God’s purpose for your life. In fact you will go a step further and thank God for making you the way you are.
Let’s take a look at the life of this great orator. Demosthenes was born to an honourable and rich family near Athens; his father belonged to the better class of citizens and had a large factory with slaves. Sadly Demosthenes father died when he was only seven years old, but was left a considerable inheritance.
However, the inheritance was stolen by his guardians, and Demosthenes was forced to live in poverty, pampered by his mother, deprived of the education usual for his class, and lacking physical activity and discipline.
He was feeble and unhealthy and children mocked him for his stuttering and called him Battalus or Argas. The term Battalus was used as a nickname for stutterers, and was used as a scientific term describing stuttering for many years. The name Argas was given to him either because of his manners, which were harsh and savage, (Argas being one of the poetic names for a snake), or because of his way of speaking, which was distressing to his hearers.
Total failure
As Demosthenes grew up, he left his studies, abandoned youthful games and devoted himself to the study of oratory. He stuttered badly when beginning his oratorical career, as Cicero humorously describes, “At first stuttering so badly as to be unable to pronounce the initial R…” The first time he addressed the people was a total failure. Demosthenes was interrupted by their clamours and laughter. He had a weakness of voice, indistinctness of speech and shortness of breath which disturbed the sense of what he said by disjoining his sentences. Later, he met Eunomus, an old man, who praised his speech, comparing it to that of Pericles. Eunomus claimed that Demosthenes’ troubles as a speaker arose from cowardliness, weakness of spirit and neglect of the body.
On another occasion, following a further disgrace in the assembly, Demosthenes met an acquaintance, the actor Satyrus. Demosthenes complained that despite the tremendous effort he had invested in preparing and delivering the speeches, even fools and sailors received more attention when talking. Under Satyrus’ encouragement Demosthenes started a relentless programme to defeat stuttering.
Laser-like focus
Every day he practised his voice in the basement of his house. Sometimes he stayed there for months, shaving half of his head to prevent himself from going out. Even small talk became an exercise. Every speech he heard was dismantled into tiny fractions and repeated over and over, pronounced differently each time. It was said that: “For his bodily deficiencies he adopted the exercises… taking pebbles in his mouth and then reciting speeches.
For his voice he used to exercise by discoursing while running or going up steep places, and by reciting speeches or verses with a single breath…” He had in his house a large looking glass, and in front of this he used to stand and go through his exercises.
With laser-like focus he stayed in that dungeon and worked on his tongue, his vocal cords, his gestures, his cadence and his logic. Demosthenes succeeded in his endeavour and transformed himself into a great and famous orator. In conclusion it is important to note that Demosthenes was not cured of his stammering, in fact he remained a stutterer all his life. He made peace with his disability and in that attitude learned how to benefit most from his condition. He avoided speaking spontaneously, all his speeches being meticulously prepared and rehearsed well in advance.
After losing his inheritance, the only asset he had left was his God-given gift, his disability. It took him to the highest corridors of political power. We probably would not have heard off him if he had been born without his condition. A stutterer, yes but God gave him such fortitude and inner strength that caused him to rise above the normal speaking people of his day.
So stop your crying and complaining and thank God for your condition because within it lie the seeds of your greatness. Till next week stay blessed! – Lynell Dangarembizi is the Founder and Executive Director of Rare Diamonds Foundation, an organisation established to help ‘Disabled People Discover Their Purpose In Life’. He can be contacted on lynelltd@ymail.com
Post published in: News