Content note: Chromolithograph showing corpses on a battlefield, a bloodied sword and burning ruins, with four rulers of the Central Powers shown as the cause; wartime enemy-leader caricature. This object is shown as it was published. Why
Gli autori dell'ecatombe Europea davanti alla Civiltà (The authors of the European hecatomb before Civilisation)
A woman labelled CIVILTÀ, a star over her brow, points at four uniformed rulers in German, Austrian, Ottoman and Bulgarian dress who stand before corpses and burning ruins, while a seated figure labelled STORIA writes in a ledger. The legend calls them 'carnefici dell'umanità' (executioners of humanity) and 'barbari'; the enemy is named by epithets, and Civilisation, Liberty and Justice are set as Italy's side.
- Date
- 1915
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- Unnamed sponsor, printed by Stab. Tipo-Litografico E. Ducci, Florence (sheet marked 'Approvato dalla CENSURA')
- Country
- Kingdom of Italy
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Salandra Government
- Leader
- Antonio Salandra
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Demonize
- Theme
- War and the military
- Event
- World War I
- Techniques
- Name-callingGlittering generalities
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Library of Congress (World Digital Library), retrieved October 2, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (published 1915; LOC: unaware of any copyright restrictions)
E. Ducci, Florence, 1915; original in the Biblioteca Alessandrina, Rome; Library of Congress World Digital Library, control number 2021670942 (rights statement: unaware of any copyright or other restrictions).
Text on the object
Gli autori dell'ecatombe Europea davanti alla Civiltà Sulle rovine, prodotte dall'insanità di un vecchio tiranno — Dal carnaio umano, voluto da un prepotente ambizioso — Alto si eleva il grido di maledizione eterna ai quattro carnefici dell'umanità — Grido di madri e di figli — Pianti di vedove e orfani — L'invocata vittoria dei difensori della Libertà è giunta — Giustizia trionfa — La Storia registra i nomi dei barbari, maledicendoli ai posteri. Approvato dalla CENSURA Firenze, Stab. Tipo-Litografico E. DUCCI, Via dei Pilastri, 32 [on the figure] CIVILTÀ [on the book] STORIA
The authors of the European hecatomb before Civilisation On the ruins, produced by the insanity of an old tyrant — From the human charnel-house, willed by an overbearing ambitious man — High rises the cry of eternal curse on the four executioners of humanity — Cry of mothers and of sons — Weeping of widows and orphans — The longed-for victory of the defenders of Liberty has come — Justice triumphs — History records the names of the barbarians, cursing them to posterity. Approved by CENSORSHIP Florence, E. Ducci Typo-Lithographic Establishment, 32 Via dei Pilastri [on the figure] CIVILISATION [on the book] HISTORY
Caption text read from a high-resolution IIIF crop of the printed legend. English is a literal machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader. 'Ecatombe' is rendered 'hecatomb' (mass slaughter).
