In 384 BC, a boy was born into an aristocratic family in Athens. Though he spent his early years in comfort, he lost both parents before the age of ten, and the vast inheritance left by his father was seized by his guardians. When he came of age, he resolved to take them to court.
The challenge was this: in ancient Greece, an accuser had to argue his case in person. Yet his speaking ability was so poor that he could hardly bring himself to face a crowd. He had a speech impediment, was frail and frequently ill, and his lungs were so weak that he became breathless after only a few sentences. Having received little formal education, he also struggled to present his arguments logically. Determined to overcome these shortcomings, he trained relentlessly. He practiced speaking with pebbles in his mouth, went to the seashore to strengthen his voice against the roar of the waves, and even shaved his head and shut himself away in a basement to copy and analyze the speeches of renowned orators, studying rhetoric step by step. Through such tireless discipline, he ultimately won his lawsuit. That man was Demosthenes, one of the ten great orators of Athens.
He was later hailed as a faultless and perfect speaker, the standard of eloquence, and one who stood peerless among all orators. It was his unwavering determination to reclaim his father’s inheritance that propelled him to such heights.
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