La voce dell’inespresso: le figure del silenzio nella retorica antica

In ancient rhetoric, the function of silence was recognized as a conscious strategy to increase the effectiveness of a communicative act, through the use of the word that omits or hides something. In this way what remains unexpressed acquires greater significance than what is said. This contribution aims to investigate the forms and effects of the figures of silence (reticentia, praeteritio, ellipsis) by analyzing their differences and similarities within Greek and Latin rhetorical texts