Abstract
Jean-Paul Marat and Maximilien Robespierre, the two most famous proponents of radical revolution, embraced the notion of heroic sacrifice and were long considered martyrs to the cause. Both men’s reputations slipped precipitously after death, however, and they remain notorious still. This chapter contrasts the writings of Marat and Robespierre with the black legends that circulated about them after the French Revolution, and contrasts their fall from favor with the hagiography surrounding Jean-Simon Loiserolles, who was one of the last victims of the Terror. It is argued that “martyr” and “terrorist” are rhetorical constructs: generated by individual egos, popular opinion, and partisan warfare more than actual deeds, and are constantly subject to reinterpretation with the vagaries of political change.
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