This blog post is based upon a chapter of my new book entitled “Coded Messages in the Pastorals”. This chapter is one of the key chapters that describes a specific mnemonic devise that was apparently used in Rome starting from the first century AD, most likely, into the second century. This blog post is a shortened version of the chapter of this book which can be found on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2vdLyOF
There
is a famous palindrome called the Sator Square that points to how the Romans
used mnemonic devices to solidify certain concepts in the minds of Roman soldiers,
plebeians and slaves. These devices could also be used to guide the writing
process of propagandistic materials intended to accomplish a particular (social)
goal. A person trained in using these devices could be counted upon to stay “on
script” and, in a sense, they are the precursors of what we call today “talking
points”.
The
Sator square is thought by some to have merely been a mind game, but I think it
was a tool of indoctrination that was also used by the writers working to
develop Christianity.
Below
you will find an example of the Sator Square found at a Roman archaeological
site.
We read:
“The most recognized word square, known as the Sator
Square, contains a mysterious collection of letters. The five, five letter
words, positioned inside a 5×5 grid, form a most impressive palindrome of SATOR
AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS. A palindrome is a word/sentence which can be
read both forward or backward. Found within a square, this phrase is then
able to be read from left or right, upward or downward, by following either rows
or columns. This powerful arrangement is believed to hold magical qualities and
is seen used on amulets, talismans, or charms to ward away evil.
“Different translations have been suggested for the
twenty-five letters. Most of the variations, problems, or contradictions
with translation seem to arise from the only word of the five which is not a
known Latin word; AREPO. Assuming AREPO to be a possible proper name,
though, the most common reading of the square is ‘the farmer/gardener (SATOR)
AREPO holds (TENET) and works (OPERA) wheels (ROTAS). (The Gardener Arepo holds
and works the wheels/plough)”[1]
One
factor I consider interesting about the SATOR palindrome is where it has been
found; and even more interesting is the potential uses for which I have found a
particularly notable example in the works of Paul the Apostle.
“Many scholars continue
to question the origin and meaning of this squared, circular phrase. The
Sator square was first thought to be of Christian origin because initial examples
of the grid were dated to around the 3rd to 5th centuries AD. The square
also held what were believed to have been hidden Christian symbols.
“However, the discovery of what is now the earliest
known inscription of the Sator square, on walls in the ruins of Pompeii, dates
it to as far back as 79AD. Finding the square in this place and time
raises serious doubts on whether Christians first created the square.
Although Christians all across Europe are known to have later used the square,
the possibility Pompeii held a strong Christian group, who would
have created or etched the square there, is not likely, according to some
scholars (sourced below).
“The letters contained within the square hid an
anagram of two PATER NOSTER’s in the form of a cross (sharing the N),
and with two A’s and two O’s leftover. The odds for the Sator square to
consist of this, unintentionally, are considered highly improbable, and
therefore, believed to be meaningful.”[2]
To quote from the writer of the article:
“The whole message we have here:
“From the Creator flows the understanding of the
workings of the spheres. Attending carefully to the workings (of the spheres)
is an asset (to understanding).
“The four Ts alert us to the fact that this Sator
Square is a square of enlightenment, and he or she is throwing it at us like a
spear. We need to be in one spot with high views and long sight, where we can
watch 360 degrees of the horizon, to gain knowledge about the quarters and
cross quarters of the year. This will give us knowledge about the movements of
the Sun and Moon, which will give us the ability to predict the coming festival
days and eclipses, and that this is a continues cycle which will go on for ever
and ever. Once this information is gathered, we will have gained knowledge
about the movements of the Sun and Moon, the eight divisions of the year,
eclipses, land directions, and water navigation also. According to this writer,
the calendar was old knowledge and could be found in old writings. Which by his
or her time, it was old knowledge, and today we know that there are ancient
astronomy records.”
Clearly, there are myriad ways, some very inventive
and unique, to use or “interpret” the Sator square and it is hard to say just
how far the square and the specific meanings possible within it go in terms of
their sophistication or lack thereof. I found an interesting article on the
Sator square that came up with numerous and I would say questionable
interpretations. What this article indicates is that it is highly possible for
someone to use the combination of five letters repeated five times forwards and
backwards and obtain some highly interesting meanings.[3]
>>>>>
Let’s
look at each word:
SATOR
In
Latin “sator” means the sower or planter. In its religious meaning it could be
taken as a metaphor for a central divinity or originator; in short “god”. In
fact, you could also say the term means “savior”. It could be referring to any
person thought to have been a savior or an anointed god-king or even a
benevolent master.
>>>>>
AREPO
Wikipedia
claims the following about the meaning of this term: “unknown, likely a proper name, either invented or, perhaps, of
Egyptian origin, e.g. coded form of the name Harpocrates or Hor-Hap (Serapis).”
I find this last suggestion to be quite
interesting. It hearkens to the view that Roman-inspired religion later became
Christianity. The implication is that when Titus and his father went to Judaea,
they were steeped in the Serapis religious perspective. It could be inferred
that they were worshippers of Serapis themselves and went into Judaea as
soldiers who worshipped the deity.
I think the term has a magical intent. It is
decided to bridge the gap between the word “sator” and the word “opera”. The
word “arepo”, if it stands for a god asserts magical qualities to the idea of
understanding the workings of the wheel (of time) or the universe. It means that
action engaged by the sator is beneficent, good, fruitful because it leads to
“works”, “doings”, etc.
>>>>>
TENET
The word “tenet” means almost precisely in
Latin what it means in English today. But there is a likelihood that it had a
more “religious” perspective back then as referring to a basic “tenet” of their
religion. The term could be deliberately ambiguous and made to refer to
whatever tenet the individual Roman had in mind, a tenet to which he held in
principle or religiously. Other meanings could include dogma, doctrine,
teaching, philosophical tenet and more.
As J. Rankin has indicated, if you connect the
four Ts of the Sator square with a line, you get the image of the cross which
would be particularly attractive to Christians of later times who made the
cross their symbol for Jesus Christ. In fact, I think, the Sator square with
the cross within it may have been an aspect of the cross within the Sator
square which gave it a Roman sense. As Rankin says, the symbol could indicate
enlightenment about a fundamental religious or magical outcome. Follow your
understanding to recognize the cross in the Sator square and you arrive at
enlightenment about Jesus who died on the cross as a sacrifice for mankind. In
Christianity, and perhaps in the Serapis cult, the cross meant spiritual
sacrifice (the sacrifice of the spirit Jesus) and this is a moral message that
could yield a magical result – the help of the poor. A message that could be
repeated over and over and even lead to a meditative state for the acolyte,
and, through practice, to enlightenment about the nature of altruistic
self-sacrifice for the sake of others.
>>>>>
OPERA
Opera means “work” or “to do” or “act”. It is
an expression of the idea that it is better to act than to think and harkens to
the Christian idea that all one need do is “works” in order to be a good
Christian. The wheel of a clock works also, it turns and time moves through
that work like the wind moving a windmill or the ox yoking the mill ‘round and
‘round. It could also imply the working of a clock or of time which gives it a
foundational and universal aspect. The wheel of a clock works, it turns and
time moves, things happen through that work. The sky is also a wheel, circling
a central point and working while time marches on.
Understanding or “thinking
on” how the world “works”, how reality “works” or how reality is like a ticking
clock unwinding itself to express the will of the “maker” could be expressed
through this palindrome. In fact, as indicated above, you can hold the Sator
square up to the north star and judge the workings of time and even watch the
process of works. You can connect these motions to the calendar and watch the
various constellations as they revolve around the center and make prophetic
statements that express the Sator square.
>>>>>
ROTAS
Now the word for sator has been turned into the
word rotas which means turn or rotate and take the next perspective. Keep going
over the palindrome again and again. Interpret what it means to the works of
the calendar. Arrive at the end, turn to a deeper meaning and start over. It is,
in essence, a circular statement meaning start over and think only on this. The
actor, stay within the confines and meanings of the square. Sator represents
the sun god, Serapis who is the tenet, the acts of the savior and then they are
turned toward the savior again and fulfilled, like a clock or a wheel, creating
a miraculous ending, a saving and a building as the Sator square moves through
ever-increasing cycles. The result is a form of meditation and pediment
building which increases focus as one thinks on it.
>>>>>
An interesting aspect of this “mindful” form of
meditation is where this palindrome has been found. According to various
sources, the Sator square has been found in middle ages cemeteries on
tombstones and at the entrances of Roman buildings and mausoleums which makes
the earliest source for the square likely Roman and not necessarily Christian. As
mentioned above, one place in particular is on a wall in Pompeii, the city
destroyed in AD 79 by the exploding Mount Vesuvius volcano on the coast of
Italy. This ties the Sator square to one of the earliest religions of that
period and to some of the earlier deities before Christ. The fact that this
square was found at the entrance to a building indicates the possibility that
there were people who were known as practitioners of meaning, people who sold
their ability to divine the future by means of interpreting the Sator square.
This skill could have been highly prized among Romans and the man or woman with
the ability to divine the Sator square could have been considered very wise and
worthy of attention. In other words, it could have been Paul’s ability to
interpret the Sator square and express various important meanings on that
basis, that made him such an interesting person. In fact, Paul could have been
given license to travel so he could “sell” his ability to interpret events by
means of the Sator square. He may have even been given the status and the title
of a god: Hermes because of this knowledge. The Serapis cult could have been
only one of his religious perspectives.
As a mnemonic device, this Sator square could
be read something like this:
Sator, Arepo, Tenet, Opera, Rotas
The gardener (sator) (arepo) planted a seed of
life (tenet) that grew and gave nourishment (opera) to the gardener (rotas - return
good fortune).
This is the basic description of the process
that creates life. When I say basic, I mean that it could apply to many
circumstances; it is general enough that it could include many different levels
of truth. If we want to take this basic level, we could describe how a wife
would participate in this life process:
The woman (sator) (arepo) grew the seed of life
(tenet) and created (opera) a child for her to love (rotas - return to good
fortune for the woman).
Or
The mother (sator) (arepo) gives life to the
child (tenet) and becomes an image of God giving life (opera) to the mother
(rotas - return good fortune to the mother).
Or, let’s talk about a king:
The king (sator) (arepo) asserted his
beneficent power (tenet) and created (opera) prosperity in the land (rotas –
return good fortune to the king).
Let’s talk about a philosopher:
The philosopher (sator) (arepo) created the
idea (tenet) that taught men (opera) how to live well (rotas – return good
fortune to mankind).
Or, let’s talk about the Apostle Paul:
Paul (sator) (arepo) authored the life of Jesus
(tenet) who sacrificed (opera) for mankind (rotas – returned good fortune to
men).
Or, how about Jesus:
Jesus (sator) (arepo) became a god (tenet) and
taught man (opera) love for mankind (rotas – return favor for mankind).
Here you have five separate statements with
five separate contexts, and you show how an actor (or thinker) engages in the
act of planting a mental seed and making it grow magically within the mind of a
person. At the end of the process, we start again, and this is a critical
point. The elegant interpreter of the Sator square could likely go on for hours
and move his listeners emotionally to both the depths of his soul and the
height of enlightenment.
>>>>>
If the Sator palindrome is a tool of social
engineering as opposed to a game (which it also was), then we have an
indication of how clever Roman technocrats were at developing tools for the
manipulation of the masses. The creation of and development of religion and
other devices could have been endlessly interesting for the study of Roman
society. In fact, you can get a sense of how the Romans embedded such concepts
into their religious works. They could have taught their propagandists how to
use such palindromes to create depth and invoke magical results for the ideas
they presented to Roman ears and minds. For instance, Paul even says in
1Corinthians:
“6 I (sator) (arepo) have planted (tenet),
Apollos watered (opera); but God gave the increase (rotas – return good fortune
to mankind).
“7 So then neither is he (sator) (arepo) that
planteth any thing, neither he (tenet) that watereth (opera); but God that
giveth the increase (rotas – return to good fortune for mankind).
“8 Now he (sator) (arepo) that planteth and he
that watereth (opera) are one (tenet): and every man shall receive his own
reward according to his own labour (rotas – return good fortune to mankind).
“9 For we are labourers (sator) together with
God (arepo) (tenet): ye are God's husbandry (opera), ye are God's building
(rotas – return good fortune to mankind).
“10 According to the grace of God which is
given unto me (arepo) (sator), as a wise masterbuilder, I (tenet) have laid the
foundation, and another buildeth thereon (opera). But let every man take heed
how he buildeth thereupon (rotas – return good fortune to mankind).
“11 For other
foundation (rotas – return good fortune to mankind) can no man lay (opera) than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (sator) (arepo).”
Isn’t this quote from 1Corinthians exactly what
I did with the Sator palindrome above? In fact, Paul appears to be using the
Sator palindrome through every line of his text. He is a practitioner of the
art repeating the same sentence structure with each statement but widening it
and making it more profound with each repetition, with each returning to the
beginning. Is this the Sator palindrome in Christian literature?
Line 9 especially is the restatement of a
metaphor that is commonly used in Christian literature which is the metaphor of
the building of the Church established upon a rock or “cornerstone” to describe
a man, namely Peter the rock (otherwise known as Josephus by my theory).
However, here, Paul gives the line to himself as the master builder rather than
Jesus or Peter. In this case, the “other” who “buildeth theron” would be Peter
(or should I say, Jesus). Is Paul greater than Jesus? So, it would seem.
It should not be surprising that we find the
Sator square among the ruins of Pompeii which was destroyed during the reign of
Titus. Is it possible that Titus, the man I consider the “type” of the Messiah
(Jesus is the type of Titus), was the man who invented the custom of using the
Sator square in the doorways of Roman buildings? The Sator square is the rock
of Roman society. Just who was the “master builder” then? The Sator square is
about Titus who is also the savior. Indeed, is our explanation of the Sator
square an example of the Christian ideas?
Which brings us back to Paul. We must ask,
“What is an apostle?” What does the title signify at base? (An apostle is a “postulant”
or one who presents himself as having the ability to postulate.)
>>>>
The first question to ask is how much of what
Paul wrote was based upon the Sator square? What if the only meaningful
statements made by Paul are palindrome restatements, repeatedly expressed so
that the people are conditioned to work on behalf of the leaders of the
communities, to sacrifice as the singular act of virtue? What does this mean
about the truth of his writings? What does it mean about the purpose of his
writings? Could Paul’s spoken words, the words he did not write about, have
been his training of his writers on how to express the “miracle” of Jesus
Christ (Titus).
Consider, for instance, “(You should –
sator) Study to shew thyself approved unto God (arepo), a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed (tenet), rightly dividing (opera) the word of truth (for men
– rotas – returning good fortune to mankind).” – 2 Timothy 2:15. (Parentheses
mine) This is a Roman Sator square. This is the central message of the Apostle.
The “word of truth” for Paul was like a clock divided up into hours and each
hour of the word was a new Sator square.
Yet, we must understand the deeper truths that
point up the contradiction involved in using the Sator square. This is the
contradiction inherent in rationalism, a philosophical principle that puts
forward an ineffable existent as, foundational. For the Romans, their God (arepo)
was their primary principle, and this started with the God Jupiter that they
venerated at his temple in Rome. The Sator square is a magical invocation that
works through the mind of man like a poison pill kills the mind. This principle
has animated Roman society since the day Caesar was deified.
>>>>>
The Sator square has essentially three
elements. First, is the word for the deity that rules reality. Then there is
the action that turns the wheel of time and then there is the euphoria or
result of the action of turning the wheel. This is the promise of the concept
of sacrifice which has been commanded by the deity as an example of moral
action. It was also demanded by the Romans and is, in my view, the very reason
that Rome fell. It was a society based on the ineffable, on magic, and it
didn’t work over the long-term. Like all ideas based on an unknowable reality
and bold leaps into the ether, eventually Rome had to fall, and Christianity
was one of the factors in that fall.
But, because all action from the Sator square
is based upon coherence rather than correspondence, there is no assurance that
the euphoria or good fortune it promises will actually come about. This magical
interpretation of the Sator square is based upon the ineffable which is the
founding principle of all religion. It is the same principle that is preached
by Christianity; that the sacrifice of Christ resulted in saving mankind. No
such saving occurred.
Sacrifice never yields good results. And, even
today, the Sator square, the expectation that good will result from collective
sacrifice is a false promise. This is why political solutions that require
sacrifice from the productive individual never work. They destroy the incentive
to produce and this causes social and political decline in any society ruled by
“magical” concepts.
>>>>>
What are we left with? If the Sator square is
an invalid form of reasoning, then all Pauline materials based upon it are
equally of no moral import. Christianity, likewise, preaches and demands that
man practice an inefficacious morality of self-sacrifice.
Morality cannot be divorced from the real world
and the Sator square is an attempt to separate moral acting from the real
world. Morality can only be based upon perception of the real world and upon
facts ascertained by the mind. It cannot be based upon a rationalistically
derived foundational mystical “being”.
Reality is made up of the material universe. As
such, it cannot be impacted in any way by a rationalistically derived spirit or
mystical entity. One cannot have a dual focus on reality and the spiritual. To
have a focus on both is contradictory and the individual must take a stand,
either to focus and live in reality or to go out of focus and live in the
spiritual world (which disqualifies him or her from living morally in the real
world).>>>>>
Copyright 2020 by Robert Villegas
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