Expertlatin
- What is the history of damnatio memoriae?
- What does the Latin damnatio memoriae mean in English?
- What is damnatio memoriae and how did it affect art?
- What is damnatio memoriae in Egypt?
What is the history of damnatio memoriae?
In ancient Rome, the practice of damnatio memoriae was the condemnation of emperors after their deaths. If the Senate or a later emperor did not like the acts of an emperor, they could have his property seized, his name erased and his statues reworked (normally defaced).
What does the Latin damnatio memoriae mean in English?
damnatio memoriae (uncountable) (historical) Condemnation of memory: a posthumous punishment for traitors etc. in Ancient Rome by which they were effectively erased from history by having their works undone and any mention of their name forbidden.
What is damnatio memoriae and how did it affect art?
Statues were pulled down and attacked, names on inscriptions were hacked away, and coins melted down. In the 17th century, this practice was labelled damnatio memoriae, or the condemnation of memory. However, the term remains problematic.
What is damnatio memoriae in Egypt?
Images such as sculptures and paintings have been recognized as having special power for millennia, which is why people from Ancient Egypt to modern Iraq have practiced damnatio memoriae, including the ritual toppling and attacking of monuments. The Latin phrase damnatio memoriae means condemnation of memory.
