The wordplay in all across clues and in sixteen down clues are thematically modified. The across clues have extra letters, which spell out a message; the modifications applied to down clues are to be worked out. There are also two unclued entries, which must be replaced in line with the theme.
The extra letters in the wordplay in across clues give CONDEMNATION OF MEMORY, about which Wikipedia has this to say: “It was a form of dishonor that could be passed by the Roman Senate on traitors or others who brought discredit to the Roman State. The intent was to erase the malefactor from history.”
The unclued entries are DOMITIAN and MAXIMIAN, who were subject to such punishment, and whose names can be formed from the letters missing from the ‘modified’ wordplay in down clues. Their names are to be replaced in the grid by DAMNATION MEMORIAE.
Unfortunately, I can’t parse 39 across. Thank you, Hoskins!
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | DEPEND | Count DD (direct debit) [without] PENCE (coins) [in circulation] (6) |
| O | 6 | ALIBI | ALBION (Old country) [preserves] I (independence) and [ditches] N (nuclear) defence (5) |
| N | 10 | ACACIA | CIA (US spies) [on] A CAN (container) plant (6) |
| D | 12 | ONEGIN | Russian character DONE (finished) GIN (drink) (6) |
| E | 15 | CAR | CARE (Mind) coach (3) |
| M | 16 | STORAGE | Perhaps shelves STORM (attempt to seize) AGE (the day) (7) |
| N | 17 | EMETIC | <CITE (Call) [back] [about] MEN (staff) preparation causing sickness (6) |
| A | 19 | REAR | Put up R (resistance) [on] AREA (field) (4) |
| T | 20 | NARCOSES | Effects of drug consumption [freak out] ANCESTORS* (8) |
| I | 21 | FORAGE | Hunt FOLIAGE (leaves), [having changed sides] (6) |
| O | 22 | TAMALE | Spicy dish [made from] OATMEAL* (6) |
| N | 25 | INHIBITS | Prevents INN (pub) HIBS (football team) [recruiting] IT (Italian) (8) |
| O | 29 | AVER | State A (academy) OVER (ready for reception) (4) |
| F | 32 | MINUTE | FIN (Ending) [interrupts] MUTE (silent) record (6) |
| M | 34 | E RE NATA | MAN-EATER* [shot] as dictated by the circumstances (7, three words) |
| E | 37 | RUM | RHEUM (Watery fluid)’s [no H (hard)] liquor (3) |
| M | 38 | FASTEN | FAST (Rash) MEN (guys) become attached (6) |
| O | 39 | INWARD | IN A WORD (Briefly) [moving A (about) to the right] and to the centre (6) |
| R | 40 | FLOSS | FR (Frequently) LOSS (miss) cleaner taking bits of food? (5) |
| Y | 41 | DEPLOY | Use PLOY (cunning plan) DYE (to change colour) [first] (6) |
| Down | |||
| 1 | DANCER | One might twist CANCER (sign) [to move forward one step initially] (6) | |
| D | 2 | PADRE | Father RE (about) [to follow] PA (old man) (5) |
| M | 3 | NIMMING | <[Serving up] NIM (game) [found in] GIN (trap) is rarely seen as stealing (7) |
| I | 4 | DAIS | DAs (US public officials) raised area for discussion (4) |
| T | 5 | COTTER | Peasant IE (that is) [thrown out of] COTERIE (exclusive group) (6) |
| I | 6 | ANION | One will be charged ANON (immediately) |
| A | 7 | LEAR | He wrote nonsense based on LE ([two main characters in] LEWIS) R (CARROLL [essentially]) (4) |
| 8 | BIGGIE | It’s important < (to turn up) IB (at the same point) [to the south of] EIGG (Scottish island) (6) | |
| 9 | INTENSE | Concentrated on IN TENS (using decimal) E (base for logarithms) (7) | |
| O | 11 | CONTRAIL | Evidence of high-flier CAN’T (being unable) [to avoid] A (anonymous) RAIL (abuse) (8) |
| N | 13 | GNATS | Flies < [upset] STAG (deer) (5) |
| 14 | CAMEO | Small part CAME (amounted to) O (nothing) (5) | |
| A | 18 | ROMAN LAW | {WOMAN LR}* (LECTURER’s [case]) [reformed] legal system (8, two words) |
| 21 | FIRE OFF | Ask questions with quick delivery FIRE (to dismiss) OFF (side at Lord’s) (7, two words) | |
| I | 23 | ASININE | Idiotic ANE (individual from Glasgow) [admits] SIN (crime) (7) |
| 24 | LET-UP | Reduction in LET (rent) UP (increase) (5) | |
| 26 | NORMAL | Not unusual NOR (and not) MAL (wrong) (6) | |
| M | 27 | HIEMS | SHIES (Casts) [all but lead part] for Shakespearean season (5) |
| I | 28 | INTINE | microprINT NEcessarily [conceals] pollen’s inner structure (6) |
| 30 | REMEDY | Correct RE ME (notes) and DY ([letters at the end of] DIARY) (6) | |
| X | 31 | TAXES | <[Raise] SEAT (base) rates and VAT? (5) |
| N | 33 | URNAL | Like a resting place for those burnt in < BeLARUssian [uprising] (5) |
| A | 35 | NATS | Separatists N [start to] NEGOTIATE with TS ([gutless] TSARS) (4) |
| M | 36 | AMID | In The Thick of I (It, [at first]) AD (publicity) [is entertaining] (4) |
| D | E | P | E | N | D | C | A | L | I | B | I |
| A | C | A | C | I | A | O | N | E | G | I | N |
| N | C | D | A | M | N | A | T | I | O | G | T |
| C | A | R | N | M | S | T | O | R | A | G | E |
| E | M | E | T | I | C | E | N | R | T | I | N |
| R | E | A | R | N | A | R | C | O | S | E | S |
| F | O | R | A | G | E | T | A | M | A | L | E |
| I | N | H | I | B | I | T | S | A | V | E | R |
| R | O | I | L | T | N | M | I | N | U | T | E |
| E | R | E | N | A | T | A | N | L | R | U | M |
| O | M | M | E | M | O | R | I | A | E | P | E |
| F | A | S | T | E | N | I | N | W | A | R | D |
| F | L | O | S | S | E | D | E | P | L | O | Y |
If the extra letter for 39a is O, then I fancy the parse is:
briefly = IN A WORD not including O = IN A WRD
moving about = A (abbreviation in Chambers)
to the right IN (A->) W(->A)RD = INWARD
Though I have been known to be wrong before.