damnatio memoriae
English edit
Etymology edit
From New Latin damnātiō memoriae.
Noun edit
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.
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
type of punishment
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