The Art of Forgetting: Disgrace and Oblivion in Roman Political Culture (Studies in the History of Greece and Rome) - Softcover

Flower, Harriet I.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0807871885 ISBN 13: 9780807871881

Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press, 2011

Synopsis

Elite Romans periodically chose to limit or destroy the memory of a leading citizen who was deemed an unworthy member of the community. Sanctions against memory could lead to the removal or mutilation of portraits and public inscriptions. Harriet Flower provides the first chronological overview of the development of this Roman practice--an instruction to forget--from archaic times into the second century A.D. Flower explores Roman memory sanctions against the background of Greek and Hellenistic cultural influence and in the context of the wider Mediterranean world. Combining literary texts, inscriptions, coins, and material evidence, this richly illustrated study contributes to a deeper understanding of Roman political culture.

About this title

Book Description:

"This is an outstanding book. The phenomenon of memory sanctions has long needed proper treatment, and Flower's study is most welcome for anyone interested in the Graeco-Roman world. This book represents a major advance in scholarship."--Michael Peachin, New York University

From the Inside Flap:

Flower provides the first chronological overview of the development of the Roman practice of destroying the memory of a leading citizen who was deemed an unworthy member of the community from archaic times into the second century A.D.

About this edition

• Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0807871885
• ISBN 13: 9780807871881
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 424