From Word-Action to Word-Imitation: Rhetorical itinerary of Cicero

This paper aims to show how Cicero's consideration of eloquence as imitation was a late decision in his life caused by the circumstances. The expression "Ciceronian challenge" refers here to the conversion from a rhetoric based on the concept of force to a rhetoric where the concept of imitation has gained greater importance. Although during the early years of his career as orator, Cicero favored the representation of the spoken word as illocutionary and perlocutionary force -as in Austin's terms-, towards the end of his life he took a more abstract position in which the concept of imitation finally prevailed as a key word in his rhetoric.