Silent Reading

I found out today that in ancient times, nearly all reading was done aloud. There are a few recorded instances where some genius learned to read silently, to the amazement of all onlookers: Alexander the Great, Ambrose (as recorded by St. Augustine.)  It emphasizes to me, somehow, the magic of reading, how incredible it is that I can be taught by people who died centuries or millenia ago, how few people have shared this privelege.