The abbreviation SPQR stands for Senatus PopulusQue Romanus. Why is the Q included, as there are only three words? Why isn't it just SPR? Or does SPQR stand for something else?
Welcome to Latin Language Stack Exchange
Latin Language Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, teachers, and students wanting to discuss the finer points of the Latin language. It is built and run by you as part of the Stack Exchange network of Q&A sites. With your help, we are working together to build a library of detailed answers to every question about Latin language. We also allow questions about Ancient Greek; details can be found below or on this meta page.
Si Anglice non intellegis et hoc situ uti vis, vide hanc paginam Latine scriptam.
We're a little bit different from other sites. Here's how:
Ask questions, get answers, no distractions
This site is all about getting answers. It's not a discussion forum. There's no chit-chat.
Just questions...
...and answers.
up vote
Good answers are voted up and rise to the top.
The best answers show up first so that they are always easy to find.
accept
The person who asked can mark one answer as "accepted".
Accepting doesn't mean it's the best answer, it just means that it worked for the person who asked.
Why is there a Q in SPQR?
up vote
14
down vote
asked Nov 13 '18 at 20:33
Nathaniel is protesting
10.6k3 gold badges32 silver badges98 bronze badges
10.6k3 gold badges32 silver badges98 bronze badges
2 Answers
up vote
4
down vote
accept
The enclitic -que was treated much like a word. This is most evident in the way Ovid handles quotes, where -que is outside a quote but the word it's attached to is inside. There are few other ancient abbreviations with -que, if any, so it's difficult to compare.
answered Nov 13 '18 at 20:34
Joonas Ilmavirta
97.6k16 gold badges144 silver badges470 bronze badges
97.6k16 gold badges144 silver badges470 bronze badges
up vote
3
down vote
We definitely know that SPQR refers to senatus populusque Romanus and not something else. This text is inscribed in full in the temple of Saturn and arch of Titus in Rome. It's hard to say whether the abbreviation is systematic or an arbitrary choice that happened to stick.
answered Nov 13 '18 at 20:35
Cerberus
17.3k2 gold badges44 silver badges94 bronze badges
17.3k2 gold badges44 silver badges94 bronze badges
Get answers to practical, detailed questions
Focus on questions about an actual problem you have faced. Include details about what you have tried and exactly what you are trying to do.
Ask about...
- Specific issues with Latin, such as with grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation
- History and culture when there is a close relation to the Latin language
- Latin literature
- Real problems or questions that you’ve encountered
We also allow questions about Greek up to the end of classical antiquity, including New Testament Greek. Questions on biblical Latin or Greek should focus on language.
Not all questions work well in our format. Avoid questions that are primarily opinion-based, or that are likely to generate discussion rather than answers.
Questions that need improvement may be closed until someone fixes them.
Don't ask about...
- Anything not directly related to the Latin language
- Questions that are primarily opinion-based
- Questions with too many possible answers or that would require an extremely long answer
- Questions that show no research effort using readily available online sources
Tags make it easy to find interesting questions
All questions are tagged with their subject areas. Each can have up to 5 tags, since a question might be related to several subjects.
Click any tag to see a list of questions with that tag, or go to the tag list to browse for topics that interest you.
Why is there a Q in SPQR?
up vote
14
down vote
The abbreviation SPQR stands for Senatus PopulusQue Romanus. Why is the Q included, as there are only three words? Why isn't it just SPR? Or does SPQR stand for something else?
asked Nov 13 '18 at 20:33
Nathaniel is protesting
10.6k3 gold badges32 silver badges98 bronze badges
10.6k3 gold badges32 silver badges98 bronze badges
You earn reputation when people vote on your posts
Your reputation score goes up when others vote up your questions, answers and edits.
+10
question voted up
+10
answer voted up
+15
answer is accepted
+2
edit approved
As you earn reputation, you'll unlock new privileges like the ability to vote, comment, and even edit other people's posts.
| Reputation | Privilege |
|---|---|
| 15 | Vote up |
| 50 | Leave comments |
| 125 | Vote down (costs 1 rep on answers) |
At the highest levels, you'll have access to special moderation tools. You'll be able to work alongside our community moderators to keep the site focused and helpful.
| 500 | Vote to close, reopen, or migrate questions |
|---|---|
| 1000 | Edit other people's posts |
| 2000 | Access to moderation tools |
Improve posts by editing or commenting
Our goal is to have the best answers to every question, so if you see questions or answers that can be improved, you can edit them.
Use edits to fix mistakes, improve formatting, or clarify the meaning of a post.
up vote
9
down vote
The enclitic -que was treated much like a word. This is most evident in the way Ovid handles quotes, where -que is outside a quote but the word it's attached to is inside. There are few other ancient abbreviations with -que, if any, so it's difficult to compare.
answered Nov 13 '18 at 20:34
Joonas Ilmavirta
97.6k16 gold badges144 silver badges470 bronze badges
97.6k16 gold badges144 silver badges470 bronze badges
For a concrete example, consider Metamorphoses V.414: "adgnovitque deam 'ne' c 'longius ibitis!' inquit" which uses -c instead of -que. - Nathaniel is protesting Nov 13 '18 at 20:35
Unlock badges for special achievements
Badges are special achievements you earn for participating on the site. They come in three levels: bronze, silver, and gold.
| Student | First question with score of 1 or more |
| Editor | First edit |
| Good Answer | Answer score of 25 or more |
| Civic Duty | Vote 300 or more times |
| Famous Question | Question with 10,000 views |
Sign up to get started
Signing up allows you to:
- Earn reputation when you help others with questions, answers and edits.
- Select favorite tags to customize your home page.
- Claim your first badge: Informed
Looking for more in-depth information on the site? Visit the Help Center
Latin Language Stack Exchange is part of the Stack Exchange network
Like this site? Stack Exchange is a network of 177 Q&A sites just like it. Check out the full list of sites.
Use comments to ask for more information or clarify a question or answer.
You can always comment on your own questions and answers. Once you earn 50 reputation, you can comment on anybody's post.
Remember: we're all here to learn, so be friendly and helpful!