Abbreviations in Inscriptions

If you were to read an inscription about the Roman Emperor Trajan you might find that it contains the following words, numbers, and abbreviations, from which you could determine approximately when the inscription was written, which offices Trajan was holding at the time, and which other honors he had been awarded:

IMP•CAESARI DIVI NERVAE F•NERVAE TRAIANO AUG•GERMANICO DACICO PONTIFICI MAXIMO TRIBUNIC•POT•VII•IMP•IIII•COS•V•P•P

For instance, the Caesari Divi Nervae F means that Trajan was the son (Filius) of the divine Caesar Nerva. This, in turn, means that Nerva had been made into a god, which, for most sane emperors (including Marcus Cocceius Nerva), happened after their demise. Although Nerva was not the biological father of Trajan, he adopted Trajan as his heir.

On this inscription are the following abbreviations:

• IMP
• F
• AUG
• TRIBUNIC•POT
• COS
• P•P

If you don't already know how to read these abbreviations and the accompanying Roman numerals, see Abbreviations in Inscriptions for help or look up the abbreviations in Tom Elliot's List of Latin Abbreviations.

Read the article: Abbreviations in Inscriptions.

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