ABSTRACT
Since the discovery at Pompeii of specimens of the ROTAS-SATOR rebus scholarly investigation into the origin of the "magic square" has been bedevilled by a fundamental problem. For if this combination is after all a fluke, we must jettison all previous attempts to interpret the square along these lines and reshape our thinking on the problem de novo. Furthermore, it is clear what must be the central letter of the word which with its reverse is to form the perimeter of the square. It is possible that either by hard labour or good fortune he hit upon the idea of combining the words ROTAS and OPERA with the palindrome TENET. Brief experiment would then have given ROTAS and its reverse SATOR as the complete words forming the perimeter. Finally since P and R are the only remaining consonants the words OPERA and AREPO necessarily complete the square.
