There has been much comparison between Barack Obama and the ancient rhetoric Cicero. However what similarities can there really be drawn between a politician in first century BC Rome and the current US president?   Well both men were/are involved in the politics of a dominant world power, both were lawyers and both had to break the mould set out by their predecessors – Cicero being a novus homo (a new man whose family had no prior involvement in politics) and Obama being the first black US President.  Essentially however it is in their speech that the most interesting similarities lie. 

Cicero was famed for his lengthy and intricate speeches resulting in his many victories in the court room.  Obama's speeches include much of the rhetorical style Cicero's oratory was famous for:

• Praeterito: stating that you will ignore a topic but in doing so drawing attention to it.  For example in the video below Obama states that the USA is great “not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military or the size of our economy” (4.14 minutes).
• Anaphora: repetition of a phrase at the beginning of a sentence. 
• Epiphora: repetition of the phrase at the end of the sentence.

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In the Roman world oratory skills were one of the greatest attributes a man could have to serve the good of Rome.  Although less importance is attributed to it in today’s society Charlotte Higgins claims that Obama’s oratory skills were "perhaps the most important factor - in his victory".

 It goes to show that we have a lot more to thank the ancients for than we first thought.........

Although Michelangelo's David is pushing out of the very edge of the classical period, this image is too weird to ignore!  I found this image on a website showing how the immediate recognition of classical art is useful for effective advertising. 

"The great thing about using classical art in advertising is its familiarity to viewers. The incongruity resulting from the addition of advertising elements only adds to the visual appeal. In other words, it gets noticed. Another plus—the artwork is usually copyright free" (blog.selsiusrealestate.com)