Without doubt, the most mysterious and fascinating of all the magic squares is the 5x5 Latin cryptogram "Sator Square" , formed by the palindromic sentence sator arepo tenet opera rotas. It is still one of the oldest, unsolved word puzzles in the world thats dates back at least 2000 years.
This sentence has been translated in numerous ways, with the most commonly cited being “The sower, Arepo, works (or holds) the wheels with care".
Although the inscription is to be found primarily in medieval churches, abbeys and manuscripts, the square dates back to Imperial Rome. For example, It is inscribed on a column in the Palestra Grande (the gymnasium) near the Amphitheatre of Pompeii. This discovery marks the oldest example of Sator Square, to date.
Other notable sites where you can find the enigmatic square are:
- Valvisciolo Abbey in Sermoneta
- Collegiate church of Saint Ursus in Aosta
- San Giovanni Decollato in Pieve Terzagni
- Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Siena
Alternative interpretations of the words in the magic square are:
-
Sator Opera Tenet - Tenet Opera Sator (as ye sow, so shall ye reap)
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Sator Opera Tenet* *(the Creator maintains his work)
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Sat Orare Poten (are you able to pray enough?)
For a collection of many interesting mathematical and geometrical interpretations of the Sator Square, you can refer to the ArXiv paper written by Paul Toasa.
What do you like about the Sator Square? Have you found interesting tidbits? Leave a comment below.