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Damnatio Memoriae

Essay Instructions:

WATCH 1 video : https://www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=TTKQhPPm5UM
1 power powerpoint ( there is the sound of ppt, have to listen)
READ 2 READING
Following the example of Alexander the Great, the Roman Emperors disseminated the authority of their leaders throughout the Empire in many forms: in images (coins, statues, busts) as well as their name, connected to their words and orders recorded in stone inscriptions. The removal from public view of the image (a painting, a statue), or the name (in inscriptions) of a damned public figure (tyrants, traitors) was well documented in the Roman Empire. In the 17th century a term was coined to describe the act of condemning a person and changing their place in the historical record: damnatio memoriae (the damnation of the memory). This act tells us that the images held so much power and authority, that once that a person who had abused that power needed to be erased from history.

Damnatio memoriae can occur at the death or condemnation of a living individual or many years, even hundreds of years later, when what they represent is once again a political issue. This assignment asks you to link the ancient practices of damnatio memoriae to the contemporary examples of damnatio memoriae in the U.S. and Europe around figures of the Southern Confederacy and figures involved in colonialism and slavery.

Write: 300-words:
In your essay, define the ancient Roman practice. Then, draw upon the contemporary examples discussed in the two short articles, to further analyze the different ways (at least four) that memory can be damned. Discuss the pros and cons of the different strategies of damnatio memoriae.
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DAMNATIO MEMORIAE
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Course
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Introduction
Damnatio Memoriae is a term used in the Roman Empire government to condemn the memory of a person seen as an enemy of the state, traitor, or tyrant. Here, the images of such people were destroyed, and their names were removed from inscriptions. If the person were a government official or the emperor, then their laws would be abrogated. The Latin phrase means a condemnation of memory.
Contemporary Examples of Damnatio Memoriae
The governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, ordered the removal of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s monument. This incident can be seen as contemporary Damnatio Memoriae in pursuit of easing protests. This happens after the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. The incident arouses civil unrest and public protests against racial discrimination. Amidst the riots, some of the United States’ monuments were perceived as symbols of the white supremacy. Also, the Robert Lee monument and other confederate memorials are covered with graffiti with anti-racist messages and slogans, as noted by Sarah McCammon (2020). This makes the monument and the memorials lose their initial purpose and value. Instead, the focus is on the anti-racist messages and slogans. This is a contemporary example of Damnatio Memoriae.
Rob Fields, a local hip-hop artist, suggests removing the white supremacist symbols can rectify the racial injustice in the United States, as McCammon (2020) notes. Another man, Gregory Carden, says that the monument carries a lot of symbolism and depicts a message that supports the oppression of his people (the inferior races). Also, the monuments, including the Jefferson Davis memorial, are meant to be honor sites, but the people don’t respect them. Instead, the people take pictures around and in front of the monuments, making them lose the intended respect. Also, taking photographs in front and around the monuments of respect is a form of memory damnation. Such places are regarded as symbols of National Unity and should be respected. Other people claim that the sites of the monuments get renamed to eradicate racial injustice, accor...
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