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Primary sourceSpeech57 BCE

Post reditum ad Quirites

Cicero · 57 BCE

Cicero's speech to the Roman people on his return from exile in 57 BC, in which he links his own fate to that of the Republic.

Cicero delivered this speech himself, presenting his exile and return as bound up with the Republic's fate.

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Manuscript page with a decorated initial and blue and gold border at top left, showing handwritten Latin text in brown ink in a medieval book. The page number 145 (and 146 at top right) is written in the margin. A large illuminated capital letter opens the text.
Copy of Cicero's Post reditum ad Quirites, from a 15th-century Italian manuscript of his orations.

About this source

What it is

This speech was delivered by Cicero to the Roman citizens (Quirites) after he returned from exile in 57 BC. The page shown is a copy from a 15th-century Italian manuscript collecting his orations, decorated with an illuminated initial and border.

Why it matters

In the speech Cicero compares his own exile and return to the fate of the Roman Republic itself, showing how he saw his personal story as tied to the health of the state. It is a striking example of how Roman politicians used public speech to shape their own legacy and justify their actions.

Look closer

  • Why might Cicero want ordinary citizens, not just senators, to hear this speech?
  • What does comparing himself to the Republic suggest about how Cicero saw his own importance?
  • What questions can't we answer just from this copied text about how the speech was actually received?

This speech is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Cicero on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Manuscript page numbered 169 in Latin, handwritten in brown ink with a decorated illuminated initial letter in the upper left in red, green, and blue with gold accents. The text begins with the opening words of Cicero's first Catilinarian oration, 'Quo usque tandem abutere...'.Speech

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