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

Review:

Flower's writing style is accessible and the examples she cites are interesting enough to take the reader on the curious journey into an unfamiliar aspect of the ancient mind.--United Nations of Roma Victrix

A very valuable book on a fascinating and important subject.--Journal of Roman Studies

Closely argued and aptly illustrated. . . . Recommended.--CHOICE

A much-needed articulation . . . of Roman commemoration practices. . . . An engaging survey of Roman history [for] the nonspecialist. . . . Well illustrated.--The Historian

An important contribution to the study of commemoration in the classical world. . . . Thorough and well-argued. . . . Lucidly written and enriched by numerous illustrations, this book provides not only a rich source of information about Greek and Roman memory sanctions, but also offers a profound analysis on their development and implications for Roman republican and early imperial politics.--Tyche

About the Author:

Harriet I. Flower is professor of classics at Princeton University. She is author of <i>Ancestor Masks and Aristocratic Power in Roman Culture</i> and editor of <i>The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic</i>.

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