When the Romans named governments of foreign states, they used populus in the singular or plural, such as populī Prīscōrum Latīnōrum, 'the governments of the Old Latins'. Populus Rōmānus in Roman literature is a phrase meaning the government of the People.

The emperors were considered the de jure representatives of the people even though the senātūs consulta, or decrees of the Senate, were made at the de facto pleasure of the emperor. This signature continued in use under the Roman Empire. The phrase, therefore, can be dated to no earlier than the foundation of the Republic. Under the Roman Kingdom, neither entity was sovereign. However, where populus is sovereign alone, Senātus is not. The two legal entities mentioned, Senātus and the Populus Rōmānus, are sovereign when combined. The abbreviation last appears on coins of Constantine the Great (ruled 312–337 AD), the first Roman emperor to support Christianity. Previously, the official name of the Roman state, as evidenced on coins, was simply ROMA. The title's date of establishment is unknown, but it first appears in inscriptions of the Late Republic, from around 80 BC onwards. ( February 2018) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. This section needs additional citations for verification.

Spqr a history of ancient rome