Ab exitio ad salutem. Rhetoric and Narration of the return in Cicero's two Post reditum speeches

This paper examines the theme of return in Cicero's speeches Post reditum in senatu and ad Quirites from a linguistic, rhetorical, political and institutional angle. The analysis of the return theme and its lexicon and of the narrative strategies underpinning this theme shows how Cicero varies return motifs having in mind the different audiences of the two speeches and with the aim of constructing an influential narrative of himself. Particular attention is devoted to comparing the two speeches with the topoi Cicero draws on in his exile letters.