The inscription at the base of the column in finest lettering reads:

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·TANT<IS·OPER>IBVS·SIT·EGESTVS

Translated, the inscription reads:

The Senate and people of Rome [give or dedicate this] to the emperor Caesar, son of the
divine Nerva, Nerva Traianus Augustus Germanicus Dacicus, pontifex maximus, in his
17th year in the office of tribune, having been acclaimed 6 times as imperator, 6 times
consul, pater patriae, to demonstrate of what great height the hill [was] and place [that]
was removed for such great works.

It was believed that the column was supposed to stand where the saddle between the Capitoline and
Quirinal Hills used to be, having been excavated by Trajan, but excavation has revealed that this is
not the case. The saddle was where Trajan's Forum and Trajan's Market stood. Hence, the
inscription refers to the Trajan's entire building project in the area of the Imperial fora.
This is perhaps the most famous example of Roman square capitals, a script often used for stone
monuments and, less often, for manuscript writing. As it was meant to be read from below, the
bottom letters are slightly smaller than the top letters, to give proper perspective. Some, but not all,
word di