SPQR appears on Romancoins, at the end of documents made public by inscription in stone or metal, in dedications of monuments and public works, and on the flag (vexilloid) of theRoman legions.
The phrase appears in Roman political, legal and historical literature, such as the speeches ofCicero andAb Urbe Condita Libri ("Books from the Founding of the City") ofLivy.
The date of first use of SPQR is not known. It first appears in inscriptions of the later Republic, from about 80BC onwards. It last appears on coins ofConstantine the Great (ruledAD 312-337), the firstChristian Roman emperor.
The signature continued in use under theRoman Empire. The emperors were considered the representatives of the people, although the decrees of the Senate were dictated by the wishes of the emperor.
Similar language in more modern political and social revolutions no doubt comes from this usage. During theFascistregime ofBenito Mussolini, SPQR was emblazoned on many public buildings in an attempt to promote his dictatorship as a "New Roman Empire."
