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This paper intends to explore the discursive picture that Cicero builds of himself in the set of letters sent to Atticus on his way to Cilicia (Cic, Att. 5.1-15). Bearing in mind that the discursive portrait the speaker fashions for himself is rooted in stereotypes or collective representations that affect not only self-presentation but also the portrait's success in a given culture, in these letters we will explore the ways the sender will mould his actions into exemplary ones. Our hypothesis is that Cicero's self-fashioning as an exemplary governor is an attempt to counteract the problem of invisibility inherent in his being away from the Vrbs. Indeed, considering that political life during the late Republic and early Empire was centered on the capital city, being away from this center entailed a serious threat to Cicero's persona or public image due to the fact that, because of his nouitas, this image was inherently precarious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]