Re: Great orators
Demosthenes of Athens was probably the greatest orator from ancient Greece (though it could be Pericles, maybe Socrates depending on your definition of orator).
Many/most of his great speeches are extant and thus, readable.
He was so good that Cicero called him "the perfect orator." Other greats had similar lofty compliments to offer.
He is known for speaking out against the machinations of Phillip II (father of Alexander the Great), who wanted to be master of all Greece. He was able to sway many Greek cities (including Thebes, the pre-eminent military power in non-Macedonian Greece at the time) to the Athenian cause. This effort was doomed to failure, but considering how powerful Macedonia was at the time, gaining the support he did was an incredible feat.
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