The concept of homework does not have a single inventor but can be traced back to ancient times. The earliest recorded mention of homework comes from Pliny the Younger, an Ancient Roman oratory teacher (61–112 CE), who assigned students to practice their speeches at home to build confidence and skill. Later, in the 19th century, German philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte played a role in formalizing homework when he developed compulsory education in Germany as a tool for state power. American educational reformer Horace Mann, inspired by the German system, introduced homework to the U.S. educational system. There is also a widely spread but debunked myth crediting Roberto Nevilis, an Italian teacher, with inventing homework in 1095 or 1905 as a form of punishment, but historical evidence does not support this claim. The modern practice of homework evolved gradually over centuries with influences from different educators and political contexts, including during the Cold War as a means to improve students' academic performance.