Damnatio Memoriae

Damnatio memoriae is a Latin phrase meaning "damnation of memory." The practice was a form of dishonor that could be passed by the Roman Senate upon traitors or others who brought disgrace to Rome. The sanction, a form of removal from remembrance, essentially erased all traces of a person from public life and record in order to preserve the honor of the Roman State. What interfered with the Senate's attempt to obliterate all records of Emperor Caligula? More...