History and Silence
Purge and Rehabilitiation of Memory in Late Antiquity
Charles Hendrik(Author)
University of Texas Press
Published on 1. January 2000
Book
Hardback
368 pages
978-0-292-73121-9 (ISBN)
Shipment within 10-20 days
Description
The ruling elite in ancient Rome sought to eradicate even the memory of their deceased opponents through a process now known as damnatio memoriae. These formal and traditional practices included removing the person's name and image from public monuments and inscriptions, making it illegal to speak of him, and forbidding funeral observances and mourning. Paradoxically, however, while these practices dishonoured the person's memory, they did not destroy it. Indeed, a later turn of events could restore the offender not only to public favour but also to re-inclusion in the public record. This book examines the process of purge and rehabilitation of memory in the person of Virius Nicomachus Flavianus (?-394). Charles Hedrick describes how Flavian was condemned for participating in the rebellion against the Christian emperor Theodosius the Great - and then restored to the public record a generation later as members of the newly Christianised senatorial class sought to reconcile their pagan past and Christian present.
By selectively remembering and forgetting the actions of Flavian, Hedrick argues, the Roman elite honoured their ancestors while participating in profound social, cultural, and religious change. Charles W. Hedrick Jr. is Professor of Ancient History in Cowell College of the University of California at Santa Cruz.
By selectively remembering and forgetting the actions of Flavian, Hedrick argues, the Roman elite honoured their ancestors while participating in profound social, cultural, and religious change. Charles W. Hedrick Jr. is Professor of Ancient History in Cowell College of the University of California at Santa Cruz.
Reviews / Votes
"This is one of the most interesting and original books about the Later Roman Empire that I have ever read." T. D. Barnes, Professor of Classics, University of Toronto " ... extraordinary and interesting ... It is so rare and refreshing to read a Roman history book which recognizes and celebrates the sheer difficulty of writing history, and the vulnerability of each solution." TLS, February 2, 2001More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Austin, TX
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
2 b&w photos, 1 line drawing, 1 figure
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-292-73121-9 (9780292731219)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
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Book
04/2000
University of Texas Press
€42.20
Shipment within 10-20 days
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E-Book
01/2010
1st Edition
University of Texas Press
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Content
A Palimpsest; Cursus and career; Unspeakable paganism?; Remembering to forget: The Damnatio Memoriae; Silence, truth, and death: The commemorative function of history; Rehibilitating the text: Proofreading and the past; Silence and authority: Politicians and rehibilitation; Appendix: Concerning the text of CIL 6.1783