History and Silence : Purge and Rehabilitation of Memory in Late Antiquity

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 argues, the Roman elite honored their ancestors while participating in profound social, cultural, and religious change. 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 argues, the Roman elite honored their ancestors while participating in profound social, cultural, and religious change.Hedrick's interpretation sheds new light on the transition from antiquity to the middle ages. It also illuminates political repression in the twentieth century with specific comparisons between ancient and modern practices of the eradication of memory. 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 Argues, The Roman Elite Honored Their Ancestors While Participating In Profound Social, Cultural, And Religious Change. Hedrick's Interpretation Sheds New Light On The Transition From Antiquity To The Middle Ages. It Also Illuminates Political Repression In The Twentieth Century With Specific Comparisons Between Ancient And Modern Practices Of The Eradication Of Memory.--jacket. Ch. 1. A Palimpsest -- Ch. 2. Cursus And Career -- Ch. 3. Unspeakable Paganism? -- Ch. 4. Remembering To Forget: The Damnatio Memoriae -- Ch. 5. Silence, Truth, And Death: The Commemorative Function Of History -- Ch. 6. Rehabilitating The Text: Proofreading And The Past -- Ch. 7. Silence And Authority: Politics And Rehabilitation -- App. Concerning The Text Of Cil 6.1783. Charles W. Hedrick, Jr. Notes: P. [259]-[295]. Appendix: P. [247]-258. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [301]-320) And Indexes. 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. "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 argues, the Roman elite honored their ancestors while participating in profound social, cultural, and religious change." "Hedrick's interpretation sheds new light on the transition from antiquity to the middle ages. It also illuminates political repression in the twentieth century with specific comparisons between ancient and modern practices of the eradication of memory."--BOOK JACKET. CONTENTS......Page 8 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS......Page 10 PREFACE......Page 12 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 26 CHAPTER 1: A PALIMPSEST......Page 30 CHAPTER 2: CURSUS AND CAREER......Page 35 CHAPTER 3: UNSPEAKABLE PAGANISM?......Page 66 CHAPTER 4: REMEMBERING TO FORGET: The Damnatio Memoriae......Page 118 CHAPTER 5: SILENCE, TRUTH, AND DEATH: The Commemorative Function of History......Page 160 CHAPTER 6: REHABILITATING THE TEXT: Proofreading and the Past......Page 200 CHAPTER 7: SILENCE AND AUTHORITY: Politics and Rehabilitation......Page 243 APPENDIX: Concerning the Text of CIL 6.1783......Page 276 NOTES......Page 288 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS......Page 326 SECONDARY WORKS CITED......Page 330 GENERAL INDEX......Page 350 INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED: INDEX LOCORUM......Page 360