Damnatio Memoriae

When an emperor was truly despised, the Senate could declare damnatio memoriae — condemnation of memory. This meant erasing every trace of the person: chiseling their name off monuments, melting their coins, and destroying or refacing their portraits. The goal was to erase them from history itself.

The practice reveals how Roman power operated. A general's military achievements could be transferred to a new emperor by simply replacing the portrait head. The body was the office; only the face needed to change when leadership did.