damnatio memoriae

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English[edit]

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Etymology[edit]

From New Latin damnātiō memoriae.

Noun[edit]

damnatio memoriae (uncountable)

  1. (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.

Usage notes[edit]

While the practice is well attested from Antiquity, the term itself is an early modern invention. It is not known whether the Romans had a specific term for this punishment.

Translations[edit]