postliminium

Several juridical sources illustrate the notion of postliminium . This institution refers to the full reinstatement of rights for a Roman citizen returning home after being held as a military prisoner. The term postliminium is first attested in Cicero. However, Apuleius gives the term a decisive turning-point: after him, a metaphorical meaning becomes predominant in Late Antiquity. In this era, postliminium appears in various instances, almost exclusively in prose works, which usually share the theme of return in different aspects.