Restitutio memoriae

In the Roman principate, the handling of the memory(memoria) of a dead princeps was a landmark political decision. In principle, the memoria of the deceased could either be honoured or ostracized. The latter is subsumed in research under the term damnatio memoriae. Occasionally, however, this posthumous ostracism of the ruler was revoked. However, in contrast to its counterpart damnatio, the so-called restitutio memoriae has received little attention in ancient historical research. The aim of this study is therefore to determine the functions of restitutio memoriae and to show its causes and lines of development in the Roman principate. It can be shown that the memoria of a previously ostracized princeps was particularly important at the moment of an irregular change of ruler. The example of the restitutio also makes it clear that acceptance and dynastic legitimation were not, as is often assumed, mutually exclusive factors. Instead, the dynastic moment played an essential role, as it promised continuity in times of political and social upheaval, which was intended to appeal to the relevant acceptance groups. At the same time, the memorial negotiation processes also served as a political power play between the senate and the new princeps, so that new impulses for the acceptance model can also be set here.