Last week, the U.S. commemorated the death of Osama bin Laden. Few have seen the body of bin Laden, as the U.S. opted to give him a watery grave in the Arabian Sea. Tossing the remains of a fallen enemy into water is not without historical precedence and the groups of people who have practiced this act are very diverse. There are numerous theories for President Obama’s decision, but at a minimum, he ensured that there is no gravesite to serve as a pilgrimage for any of bin Laden’s followers or neo-followers. Watery graves have served the same purpose throughout history dating back to the Romans who often tossed the remains of their emperors into rivers. Many other groups employed watery graves including the Catholic Church, the English, and more recently, the Soviets. All had the goal of diminishing the remains of the victim and most made it clear they wanted to avoid relic seeking by current and future followers. The following article examines some of those historical examples.
The Romans
Before Roman general and politician Gaius Marius (157-86 BC) died, he revolutionized the army of the Roman Republic through numerous reforms. In the process, he began jockeying for power against his younger rival, Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138-78 BC), another general and politician. Sulla eventually gained the upper hand in public opinion and when the Roman Senate raised an army to confront enemies in the east, they chose Sulla as the army’s commander. Marius responded with violence, initiating a civil war that he lost. Marius died in exile while Sulla went on to become consul and eventually dictator of the Republic. ((A more in-depth overview in Marcel Le Glay, Jean-Louis Voisin, and Yann Le Bohec, A History of Rome, 4th ed. (Malden MA: Wiley-Blackwell), 130-136.)) In an act of propaganda and revenge, Sulla exhumed Marius’ ashes four years after his death and tossed them into the Anio River. ((Tom Holland, Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic (New York: Random House, 2005), 95.)) In addition, Sulla had all trophies and anything that sported Marius’ name taken down and buried in the ground. ((Harriet I. Flower, The Art of Forgetting: Disgrace & Oblivion in Roman Political Culture (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2006), 92-93.))
The Catholic Church
More than 1400 years later, English theologian and Bible translator John Wycliffe (c. 1328-1384) revolutionized England and the Christian world. By translating the Bible in English, he not only gave Christians access to text previously held closely by the Catholic Church, but he also began promoting literacy. These coupled with some of his other concepts like the importance of Scripture were the early beginnings of the Reformation. Oxford banished him in 1381. He died of a stroke three years later. The Church began making laws against Wycliffe’s work, going so far as to ban translating altogether. The Church determined that Wycliffe was a heretic 31 years after his death (1415). Going even further, in 1428, they exhumed his body, burned it, and tossed the ashes into the River Swift. Like Sulla, the Church sought to expunge the memory of their target by burning his books. ((Tom Streeter, The Church and Western Culture: An Introduction to Church History (Bloomington: AuthorHouse, 2008), 210-211.))
Later, in Prague, Jan Hus (1369-1415) read and agreed with much of Wycliffe’s concepts. Hus initiated the beginnings of the Reformation in continental Europe, as he emphasized more participation by the people instead of the clergy. In 1415, the Catholic Church invited him to a conference to discuss differences in theology. Hus agreed, but walked into a trap. The Church burned him at the stake and tossed his remains into the Rhine River. ((Ibid., 211-213.)) With Hus dead, Catholic Europe found itself at war with Hus’s followers, Hussites, until 1434.
The English
After a lengthy trial, the English finally settled on burning Joan of Arc (1412-1431) because she continued to wear men’s clothing. Her success in several battles and numerous sieges against the English and their allies was the underlying catalyst for her persecution. The Earl of Warwick (1382-1439) was able to pay off some of Joan’s judges to ensure a conviction. He also nursed her back to health when she fell ill, lest she die before her condemnation. ((Régine Pernoud and Marie-Véronique Clin, Joan of Arc: Her Story. translated by Jeremy Duquesnay Adams (New York: St. Martin’s Griffin, 1999), 205-206.)) After her burning, Warwick had Joan’s ashes collected and tossed them into the Seine River “so that no relics could be claimed later.” ((Ibid., 137))
The Soviets
After Adolf Hitler killed his wife, Eva Braun, and himself, the bodies were burned using petrol. Although there was little left of the bodies, the invading Soviets managed to recover portions of both Hitler and Braun, and identified them by their dental records. ((Ian Kershaw, Hitler, 1936-1945: Nemesis (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2001), 830-831.)) The Soviets buried the couple in Magdeburg. Later, in 1970, the KGB dug up the remains, burned them, and tossed them into the Biederitz River. ((Nicholas Best, Five Days That Shocked the World: Eyewitness Accounts from Europe at the End of World War II (New York: Thomas Dunne, 2011), 329-330.))
Does it work?
Watery graves do not stamp out memories. While Sulla may be an obscure figure in western culture, Wycliffe, Hus, Joan, and Hitler are prominent historical figures. Sulla’s obscurity is due more to the rise of more memorable Roman figures (e.g., Julius, Augustus), as Marius remains just as obscure. That begs the question on whether there is benefit. Today, Wycliffe, Hus, Joan, and Hitler still have their admirers and in some instances, followers. All but the latter have permanent statues throughout the world. Without even visiting France, I personally have seen at least three Joan of Arc statues. In center city Prague, an intense statue of Hus and his followers dominates area (see the photo below from 2001).
In short, a watery grave is not a guarantee to stamp out the memory of a prominent figure. However, it does ensure that followers lack a rallying point. If the Obama Administration had that in mind, then they are in lockstep with the Romans, Catholic Church, English, and the Soviets.