I always notice in movies set in the days before electronics that there is usually a "hero" making a big speech to get his army or crowd all pumped up, but sometimes he is barely yelling, and I don't feel like there is any way that 500 people could hear him let along 10,000+. Did speeches like that actually happen and how was the information relayed to everyone in the crowd/army? Was it like a "pass it along" type thing?
hi! not discouraging other responses, but fyi, there are a few posts on this topic in the FAQ
I've wondered the same thing about the great speakers of the Great Awakenings in the 18th and 19th centuries. I remembering reading that preachers like George Whitefield spoke to crowds of thousands. Has this been exaggerated after the fact?