A Roman Matron as Figure of Memory: Social Memory and Cornelia, Mother of the Gracchi

Using the frameworks of 'social memory' and 'figure of memory', this paper argues in favour of Flower's hypothesis about the statue of Cornelia. She suggested the statue was placed in the Porticus Metelli to support a new elite alliance including the Metelli and Scipiones. This statue was used as a lieu de memoire and Cornelia as a figure of memory, transforming the memory of herself, her descent, and her sons. Social memory made it possible to erase incongruent elements of past and present. This way, the statue gained an important forward-looking quality, one claimed by Augustus.