Abbreviations

Here you can discuss all things Latin. Use this board to ask questions about grammar, discuss learning strategies, get help with a difficult passage of Latin, and more.
Post Reply
User avatar
benissimus
Global Moderator
Posts: 2733
Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 4:32 am
Location: Berkeley, California
Contact:

Abbreviations

Post by benissimus »

I'm looking at a painting of the triumphs held after Julius Caesar's victories, and some people are carrying banners. I know the "SPQR" stand for "Senatus populusque Romanus," but does anyone know what the other letters stand for? The Romans are a little overly fond of abbreviation I think... This is roughly what they look like:

Banner 1
SPQR IVLIVS CAESAR P-M-

Banner 2
SPQR DIVO IVLIO CÆSARI D-P-P-P-


Oh yeah, and what does SPQR have to do with Julius Caesar? He nullified the Senate practically as soon as he came into power.
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

Magistra
Textkit Member
Posts: 129
Joined: Sun May 04, 2003 12:42 pm

Re: Abbreviations

Post by Magistra »

[quote="benissimus"

Banner 1
SPQR IVLIVS CAESAR P-M-

Banner 2
SPQR DIVO IVLIO CÆSARI D-P-P-P-


Oh yeah, and what does SPQR have to do with Julius Caesar? He nullified the Senate practically as soon as he came into power.[/quote]

P-M = Pontifex Maximus (chief priest)

DIVO IVLIO CÆSARI = to the divine Julius Caesar

D-P ??

PP = pater patriae (father of the country)

SPQR was a symbol of Roman power.

Magistra

bingley
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 640
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:04 am
Location: Jakarta

Post by bingley »

Wouldn't divus mean that Julius was already dead? This site didn't have the answer to your question but is perhaps worth knowing about anyway:

http://asgle.classics.unc.edu/abbrev/latin/

This site, however,

http://www.locutio.com/expressions-abre ... -intro.htm

gives decreto publico for DP

User avatar
benissimus
Global Moderator
Posts: 2733
Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 4:32 am
Location: Berkeley, California
Contact:

Post by benissimus »

Another great site :D [/quote]
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

Skylax
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:18 am
Location: Belgium

Post by Skylax »

bingley wrote:

http://www.locutio.com/expressions-abre ... -intro.htm

gives decreto publico for DP
In this case, it could be also dictatori perpetuo "dictator for ever", although the above mentioned site gives PP for the abbreviation of perpetuus.

Skylax
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:18 am
Location: Belgium

Post by Skylax »

As Bingley has noticed it, DIVO IVLIO "to the Divine Julius" implies that Caesar is already dead. In the following times, the dead emperors were regularly labelled DIVVS by the Senate : DIVVS AVGVSTVS, (not Tiberius, not Caligula) DIVVS CLAVDIVS (not Nero) DIVVS VESPASIANVS, DIVVS TITVS, etc. They say that Vespasian, as he was about to die, said : Vae, puto, deus fio "Woe is me ! I think I am becoming a god !" A very British Roman.

mingshey
Textkit Zealot
Posts: 1338
Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2003 6:38 am
Location: Seoul
Contact:

Post by mingshey »

I usualy try to avoid posting silly remarks on what I know very little, but I can't help mentioning this...

Today there are too great a population of acronyms in electronics world so that 'PCMCIA' is made a "backronym" for "People Cannot Memorize Computer Industry Acronyms". Romans must had similar satirical terms.

User avatar
benissimus
Global Moderator
Posts: 2733
Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 4:32 am
Location: Berkeley, California
Contact:

Post by benissimus »

They say that Vespasian, as he was about to die, said : Vae, puto, deus fio "Woe is me ! I think I am becoming a god !" A very British Roman.
So THAT'S what he said! I read an excerpt of Seneca's Apocolocyntosis in which he says (mockingly) "Vae me, puto, concacavi."
Last edited by benissimus on Sun Oct 19, 2003 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

bingley
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 640
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:04 am
Location: Jakarta

Post by bingley »

Wasn't the Apocolocyntosis about Claudius, not Vespasian?

Skylax
Textkit Enthusiast
Posts: 672
Joined: Fri Jun 06, 2003 8:18 am
Location: Belgium

Post by Skylax »

You are right. Claudius made this less humorous comment. And what said Augustus ? "Acta est fabula ?"

User avatar
benissimus
Global Moderator
Posts: 2733
Joined: Mon May 12, 2003 4:32 am
Location: Berkeley, California
Contact:

Post by benissimus »

So he didn't use an indirect statement in "Vae, puto, deus fio"? How common was that actually, or was it more common in speech than in writing?
flebile nescio quid queritur lyra, flebile lingua murmurat exanimis, respondent flebile ripae

Post Reply