damnatio memoriae

English

Etymology

From New Latin damnātiō memoriae.

Noun

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

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

type of punishment

• Finnish: damnatio memoriae, muiston kiroaminen
• Korean: 기록말살형(記錄抹殺刑) (girongmalsalhyeong)
• Portuguese: damnatio memoriae f