It is impossible to walk for long through the streets of Rome without noticing the four letters 'S. P. Q. R.'. They appear on everything from dustbins and drains to drinking fountains and manhole covers. Standing for SENATUS POPULUSQUE ROMANUS (the Senate and the Roman people), the abbreviation S. P. Q. R. first appeared at the beginning of the first century BCE. During the Fascist period (1922-1943) the letters were often accompanied by the fasces (from which the Fascist party drew its name), a bundle of wooden rods and an axe, which, in Ancient Rome, symbolised a magistrate's power and jurisdiction. The fasces were originally carried by lictors, the men who escorted magistrates through the streets of the Eternal City. The number of lictors varied according to the status of the magistrate. S.P.Q.R. is still used in the municipal coat of arms of the city of Rome. Over time, the four letters have been given other meanings, such as: Sono Porchi Questi Romani (These Romans are Pigs), Sono Pazzi Questi Romani (These Romans are Crazy) and Sono Preti Regnano Qui (Only the Priests Reign Here)! Comments are closed.
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My name is David Lown and I am an art historian from Cambridge, England. Since 2001 I have lived in Italy, where I run private walking tours of Rome.
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