From the Agora of Ancient Athens to the streets of Washington D.C., political discourse has become ingrained into our way of life. Although it’s been thousands of years, we still find ourselves arguing over the same things: basic rights, wars, and public policies. However, had we not have seen the emergence of rhetoric and the use of rhetorical oratory among the public, democracy and discourse would not exist as we know them. Rhetoric through deliberation gave the Athenians a means to convey their views on policy to each other, resulting in compromise and progress in the state. In Rome, rhetoric allowed the Republic to flourish by creating a sense of duty and unity among Romans to their State. In Christian Europe, rhetoric allowed the clergy to better understand their religion and more effectively communicate it to their audience, converting thousands of people throughout Europe. In Renaissance Europe, rhetoric was used to revitalize education and ruthlessly to gain political power in the various Italian city states. Rhetoric is not just a set of strategies used to convince a reader, rather it is the mastery of language with which the rhetorician can use to serve any purpose if he has the skill to do so.