The Art of Forgetting
Disgrace and Oblivion in Roman Political Culture
Published on 28. February 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
424 pages
978-0-8078-7188-1 (ISBN)
Description
Elite Romans periodically chose to limit or destroy the memory of a leading citizen who was deemed an unworthy member of the community. Sanctions against memory could lead to the removal or mutilation of portraits and public inscriptions. Harriet Flower provides the first chronological overview of the development of this Roman practice--an instruction to forget--from archaic times into the second century A.D. Flower explores Roman memory sanctions against the background of Greek and Hellenistic cultural influence and in the context of the wider Mediterranean world. Combining literary texts, inscriptions, coins, and material evidence, this richly illustrated study contributes to a deeper understanding of Roman political culture.
Reviews / Votes
Flower's writing style is accessible and the examples she cites are interesting enough to take the reader on the curious journey into an unfamiliar aspect of the ancient mind.- United Nations of Roma Victrix;""A very valuable book on a fascinating and important subject.""- Journal of Roman Studies;
""Closely argued and aptly illustrated. . . . Recommended.""- CHOICE;
""A much-needed articulation . . . of Roman commemoration practices. . . . An engaging survey of Roman history [for] the nonspecialist. . . . Well illustrated.""- The Historian;
""An important contribution to the study of commemoration in the classical world. . . . Thorough and well-argued. . . . Lucidly written and enriched by numerous illustrations, this book provides not only a rich source of information about Greek and Roman memory sanctions, but also offers a profound analysis on their development and implications for Roman republican and early imperial politics.""- Tyche;
""This is an outstanding book. The phenomenon of memory sanctions has long needed proper treatment, and Flower's study is most welcome for anyone interested in the Graeco-Roman world. This book represents a major advance in scholarship.""- Michael Peachin, New York University
More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Chapel Hill
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
721 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8078-7188-1 (9780807871881)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2011
The University of North Carolina Press
€29.49
Available for download
Person
Harriet I. Flower is professor of classics at Princeton University. She is author of Ancestor Masks and Aristocratic Power in Roman Culture and editor of The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic.