''Felicior Augusto, melior Traiano'' or ''Sis felicior Augusto, melior Traiano'' (

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: "be more fortunate than

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

ndbetter than

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

) was the formula delivered in the

Roman Senate The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...

at the

inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inau ...

of late Roman emperors. The phrase refers to the perceived well-being of the empire during the reigns of Augustus and Trajan. Particularly, it recalls the divine favour Augustus supposedly enjoyed, as well as Trajan's title ''Optimus'', expressing the senatorial memory of Trajan as the exemplar of imperial modesty. After the setbacks of the third century, Augustus and Trajan became in the Later Roman Empire the paragon of the most positive traits of the Imperial order. The phrase was in use until at least the 4th century AD, when the Roman Empire had dramatically changed in character from what it had been under Trajan's rule.

References

{{reflist Latin political words and phrases Augustus Trajan Roman emperors Inauguration