Ancient Worlds - BBC Two Episode 5 “The Republic of Virtue”SPQR “Senatus Populusque Romanus” (Senate
Ancient Worlds - BBC Two Episode 5 “The Republic of Virtue”SPQR “Senatus Populusque Romanus” (Senate and people of Rome) This phrase was the source of all authority for the actions of the Roman Republic. The date of establishment of the official monogram of the Republic is unknown (but it cannot be dated earlier than the foundation of the Republic). It first appears in inscriptions of the Late Republic and continued in use under the Roman Empire.The Senate and the Roman people, the two entities mentioned, are sovereign when combined. However, where Populus is sovereign alone, Senatus is not. The Romans believed that all authority came from the people; the Roman people appear very often in law and history. SPQR was a reminder of the new republic after noblemen overthrew the corrupt kings. SPQR made Roman citizens feel as if they had a voice and control in the government but it also masked all the unresolved tensions between the strong and the weak, the powerful and the powerless.SPQR was inscribed on Ancient Roman public buildings, on the base of the legion’s eagle standards, money, and public places.The initials are used as an official emblem of the modern-day municipality of Rome and can still be seen all over the city today. Rome, Italy -- source link
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