Damnatio Memoriae

• Damnatio Memoriae was a Decree by the Roman Senate to condemn the collective memory of a Roman Emperor and ‘Abolitio Nominis’ was the erasure of his name and images.

Description

• Abolitio Nominis:
  • The Emperor’s name was erased from inscriptions on Monuments, whilst Portraits were destroyed and Statues and Sculptures were changed to represent other figures.
  • Sometimes the Roman Senate would reverse the Damnatio Memoriae at a later date.
  • However if the Emperor was accepted as a God the Roman Senate passed a different Decree:

• Apotheosis:
  • This was a Decree by the Roman Senate where the Emperor was considered to have risen to Heaven and recognised to have become a God. This formed part of the Worship of the Imperial Cult of the Roman Emperor.

Roman Emperors who received Damnatio Memoriae

• Nero (68 CE)
  • In 68 CE he was the first Roman Emperor to be condemned and not deified. Damnatio Memoriae was used by Vespasian to erase his memory.
• Domitian (96 CE)
  • In 96 CE The Roman Senators passed the Damnatio Memoriae shortly after his assassination, and voted Nerva as the next Roman Emperor.
• Commodus (192 CE)
  • 192 CE 31 December: Immediately after his Assassination, the Roman Senate passed a Damnatio Memoriae against Commodus.
  • However, this was reversed by Septimius Severus and he was later deified in 195 CE.
• Geta (211 CE)
  • In Dec 211 CE, Caracalla passed a Damnatio Memoriae on his own brother, Geta, after first having had him murdered so as to become Emperor himself.
• Macrinus and Diadumenianus (218 CE)
  • The Roman Senate passed a Damnatio Memoriae against Macrinus and his son Diadumenianus.

Roman Emperors who narrowly escaped Damnatio Memoriae

• Caracalla
  • When he died in 217 CE, the Senate had to deify him in 218 CE, due to his popularity with the Legions.
  • Instead of a Damnatio Memoriae his statues and busts were discreetly removed.