History and Silence

Purge and Rehabilitation of Memory in Late Antiquity

Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Rome
Cover of the book History and Silence by Charles W., Jr. 
 Hedrick, University of Texas Press
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Author: Charles W., Jr. Hedrick ISBN: 9780292779372
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Charles W., Jr. Hedrick
ISBN: 9780292779372
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: January 1, 2010
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English
"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." —Times Literary Supplement "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 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 dishonored the person's memory, they did not destroy it. Indeed, a later turn of events could restore the offender not only to public favor 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 Christianized senatorial class sought to reconcile their pagan past and Christian present. By selectively remembering and forgetting the actions of Flavian, Hedrick asserts, the Roman elite honored their ancestors while participating in profound social, cultural, and religious change.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
"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." —Times Literary Supplement "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 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 dishonored the person's memory, they did not destroy it. Indeed, a later turn of events could restore the offender not only to public favor 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 Christianized senatorial class sought to reconcile their pagan past and Christian present. By selectively remembering and forgetting the actions of Flavian, Hedrick asserts, the Roman elite honored their ancestors while participating in profound social, cultural, and religious change.

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