Napoleonic Latin inscriptions

Abstract

Abstract Even though Napoleon Bonaparte was a mediocre Latin student, he made more extensive public use of that language throughout the French Empire than any secular ruler since Roman times. While Napoleon’s use of the images of imperial Rome to promote himself and his vision for France has been amply discussed elsewhere, the Latin inscriptions that accompanied this imperial imagery on medals and monuments have been largely overlooked. This article explores how Napoleon made use of these inscriptions for self-promotion and considers why Latin rather than French often appeared in public spaces. It also assesses who was responsible for the language and imagery of the inscriptions, where they appeared and who could read them and how.