SPQR vs Rome&You

Roughly ten years ago, “Rome&You” nearly replaced SPQR as the city’s slogan. Don’t believe it? I had a difficult time swallowing it too!

But first, let’s take a step back. Remember my blog, SPQR: the Sequel? It explored two different empires’ mottoes and what the shelf-life of those mottoes potentially revealed about the health of the empires they represented. My conclusion in that blog? One strong motto is apparently better than multiple hit-or-miss ones. Now back to SPQR vs Rome&You. (I think you see where I’m going with this.)

The Importance of Propaganda in Empire Building

Rome, Italy hasn’t been the capital of a secular empire for roughly 1700 years. The last person to attempt creating one (with mixed results, to say the least) was Mussolini. But despite his terrible political track record, he at least understood the power of propaganda when empire building — just like, but with a little less savvy than, Octavian 2000 years before him.

And while reptilian Octavian built an empire on the ruins of the Roman Republic, Mussolini built his “Italian Empire” on Octavian, Rome’s First Emperor, Founding Father, Pater Patriae, and et cetera et cetera. For example?

Empire Building and SPQR

Well, Mussolini ordered his archeologists to excavate the Ara Pacis. The Ara Pacis? Yes, the Altar of Peace, which the ancient Roman Senate dedicated to “the dove” Octavian, who pacified Rome — at the expense of hundreds of political enemies’ lives and tens of thousands of citizens’ well being. But we’ll sweep this nuance under the rug, just as Octavian did to build his imperial legacy. And we’ll admire Mussolini’s use of photography to immortalize himself next to the Ara Pacis in the museum he had built specifically for it.

And get this! Mussolini, the propaganda wiz, inaugurated the new Ara Pacis Museum on Octavian’s birthday (i.e. September 23^rd) 2000 years after Octavian’s birth. Not very subtle. But very good propaganda.

And what to say about Mussolini revitalizing the ancient Roman SPQR, as the Italian Empire swelled and colonized much of the Mediterranean, like… Like…? Uh. Nevermind. But a propaganda mastermind, Mussolini did dote on the imperial acronym. And here you’ll see a fascist era poster celebrating the occupation of Ethiopia (which is the word underlying the SPQR that a farmer/soldier is chiseling). Under that, one reads Confederazione Fascista Lavoratori Agricoltura, that is “the Fascist Confederation of Agricultural Workers.” (I thank this site for the picture.)

Now, I’m not fond of Mussolini. But I will give credit where credit is due. He recognized a great acronym when he saw one. Unlike Rome’s ex-Mayor Marino who, in 2015, must have had cerebral hemorrhaging when he decided that SPQR was passe. I kid you not. (No, not about the cerebral hemorrhaging, but the fact that he thought SPQR was passe.)

I’m posting a partial screen shot of the 2015 La Repubblica article on Mayor Ignazio Marino’s momentous decision to change Rome’s 2500-year-old motto. To change a slogan that had worked so well for so long, you’d assume that he had an ace up his sleeve. Something earthshaking. Something that would raise the dead or make angels weep. You get the idea. He didn’t. Marino ran with “Rome&You.”

His reasons? Well, they’re not clear. If you know a little Italian (no, I don’t mean Marino – oh, ouch!), stumble with me through the first words of the screenshot. He says, “[Changing Rome’s motto] is not an operation based on ideological content, rather it’s a recognition of the name that has made the city, which is considered the Caput Mundi, famous for 3000 years.” Hunh? Sure, he could have said, “[Changing Rome’s motto] is not based on ideology.” The statement would have been false. But, in exchange, it would have been clear. But I’m assuming that ex-Mayor Marino, like many writers, was getting paid by the word, and not for one well-outlined concept.

Later on in the article, Mayor Marino goes on to state, “Rome is Rome.”

[I’m dumbstruck.

And I’m inserting a long silence.

To reflect the enormous vacuity of his affirmation.]

He continues, “and it doesn’t need other attributes or adjectives.” Well, I ask, if “Rome” is sufficient, why not change Rome’s slogan from SPQR to “Rome”?

But here’s my favorite Marino quote, which starts roughly halfway through the article (and is not in the small fragmented posted above): Si tratta di un programma di comunicazione che ha come obiettivo la sottolineatura comunicativa dell’esperienza unica e personale che Roma offre… “It’s an attempt at communication, whose objective is to underline communicatively the unique and personal experience that Rome offers.” [Translator’s note: yes, that’s what Marino said. Seriously.]

Rome&You Should Know When to Stop

I ask myself, Did ex-Mayor Marino hire a speechwriter? Apparently not. Maybe he couldn’t pay anyone enough to argue his lost cause. After all, who in his or her right mind would substitute the monolithic SPQR with the fluffy, feel-good Rome&You. I imagine his entire cabinet thinking, “You want ‘Rome&You’ in the place of SPQR? No way. This is your losing battle, coglione. You fight it alone.”

And why, for the sake of the Almighty Gods, was Rome’s new slogan in English?

Oh, of course, I’m not giving ex-Mayor Marino the credit he deserved. Rome&You is a very witty play on words. I’ll spell it out for you, if you didn’t get it immediately: Rome&You = Ro/ME & YOU. Isn’t that touching. You know I’m brimming with sarcasm. An ancient Roman legionnaire would vivisect anyone for such a vapid play on words — and one that dared to mess with the irreplaceable SPQR.

For the greater glory of this blog and to improve readers’ morale, I’m now randomly inserting a photo of the Roma soccer team’s retired captain, Totti — magic number 10 — in his SPQR soccer jersey!

The good news is that SPQR vs Rome&You was a non-event. Like the Freddy Krueger pitted against the Three Little Pigs. And that’s good. Because I can’t imagine the tax hike we would have faced if the ubiquitous SPQRs were erased and rewritten as Rome&You!