[image ALT: Much of my site will be useless to you if you've got the images turned off!]
mail:
Bill Thayer 		[image ALT: Cliccare qui per leggere la stessa pagina in Italiano.]
Italiano 		[Link to a series of help pages]
Help 		[Link to the next level up]
Up 		[Link to my homepage]
Home

The Inscription on the Base of Trajan's Column
(CIL VI.960)

[image ALT: missingALT]

Transcribed:

1



5
 SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS
IMP CAESARI DIVI NERVAE F NERVAE
TRAIANO AVG GERM DACICO PONTIF
MAXIMO TRIB POT XVII IMP VI COS VI P P
AD DECLARANDVM QVANTAE ALTITVDINIS
MONS ET LOCVS TANTIS OPERIBVS SIT EGESTVS

Expanded:

1



5
 Senatus populusque Romanus
Imperatori Caesari Divi Nervae Filio Nervae
Traiano Augusto Germanico Dacico Pontifici
Maximo tribunicia potestate XVII Imperatori VI Consuli VI Patri Patriae
ad declarandum quantae altitudinis
mons et locus tantis operibus sit egestus

Translated (slightly paraphrased and expanded, actually):

The Senate and people of Rome
to the Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus, son of Nerva of blessed memory,
conqueror in Germany and Dacia, High Priest, vested with the tribunician power 17 times,
proclaimed Imperator 6 times, elected consul 6 times, Father of the Nation:
as an illustration of the height which this hill and place attained,
now removed for such great works as these

Quick Question:

Do you wonder where that huge amount of dirt went? Here's the answer, probably.

[image ALT: Valid HTML 4.01.]

Page updated: 18 Sep 07