Thursday's term to Learn - Damnatio Memoriae

By N.S. Gill, About.com GuideDecember 23, 2010

Follow me on:

Photo of Arco degli Argentarii - Internal side - Caracalla and figure scratched out CC Flickr User Panairjdde

In the interest of being topical (see previous blog post about Damnatio Memoriae in the Canada Free Press) and saving myself some time during my year-end crush time, I'm recycling an old Thursday's term to learn. Damnatio memoriae led to the erasure of faces from sculptures and names from lists. It marked individuals as particularly repugnant or inconvenient -- at least in the eyes of the Roman Senate. For a more complete explanation, please read January 14, 2010 - Thursday's Term to Learn - Damnatio Memoriae.

Whom would you nominate for Damnatio Memoriae?

Join Me on Facebook | Get My Twitter Updates

More Thursday's Terms to Learn | Roman Terms

Comments

December 23, 2010 at 8:38 pm (1) AquilliusDrinksGold says:: Is it also called Damnatio Memoriae when you get divorced and cut out your ex from all your photos?
December 24, 2010 at 12:06 am (2) Richard says:: Almost an anticipation of Stalinist Russia with the doctored photographs.
December 25, 2010 at 10:46 am (3) ancienthistory says:: It’s not only ex-wives that get excised. I have some strange, old family photos. Since the term is modern, why not?

Thursday's term to Learn - Damnatio Memoriae

Comments

Leave a Comment

Related Blogs