The Greeks

The Rhapsodes performed Homeric poems in different colored robes and were accompanied by a staff (used to beat the rhythym of the verse). Whether the Rhapsodes sang or spoke, we still are unclear of that fact. Most scholars (Hargis & Lentz) determined that they were song-stitchers who almost chanted works of literature. I believe the issue of whether the Rhapsodes sang or chanted remains important, because the delivery can alter performance outcomes. Perhaps chanting facilitates unison speaking, which builds comunitas.
In addition to being song-stituchers, the Rhapsodes acted as entertainers, educators, and interpretative lecturers. They served the interest of the state by inspiring Greeks to have hatred for the Barbarians, while giving them the courage to fight. Thus, the Rhapsodes reified Greek culture and created a sense of pride among the people. The groups also developed a sense of shared identity betweeen Greeks by expressing the classical words of Homer (Lentz) Nevertheless, some scholars, such as Plato, found faults with the Rhapsodes.
Plato (disguised as Socrates in "Ion") pinpointed a negative correlation between Rhapsodes and "True Art." Rhapsodes, according to Socrates, cannot cure patients like Physicians or have knowledge of the ocean like a sailor. If Ion was able to speak of Homer by the rules of "Art," he would have ben able to speak of all other poets (epic and lyric). Thus, Rhapsodes do not have a larger understanding of "Truth," as they are merely possessed by the Gods (Plato).
Another group, the Sophists, have been compared to the Rhapsodes. Both are entertainers, educators, and interpretative lecturers. In the words of Protagoras: "The poets, hence the Rhapsodes, reall were Sophists who called themselves poets in order to escape the odium of being classed with the Sophists (Protagoras)." Previous scholars have also demonstrated the similarities between the two, as they were both relativists and profit driven.
Following the Greek era, public recitals and public discourse became popular in Rhome. The Romans patterned their way of life after the Greeks. In other words, the Romans borrowed the political system and ways of entertaining from Greece. Though speeches became most popular during this time, oral interpretation remained important.