The internal logic of the Sator Square - A ritual originating in ancient Egypt

The Sator Square remains, to date, one of the oldest unresolved enigmas of the classical tradition. The interpretive problem concerns above all the word AREPO, an enigma within the enigma. The interpretations advanced so far — Christian, verbal, and magical-apotropaic — remain without shared verification, often because of arbitrariness and/or chronological inconsistency. This research analyzes the various epigraphic records, distinguishing the older one from later reuses and taking these differences into account. The contribution begins with an internal analysis of the matrix of the Square and, while respecting the semantic value of the terms and the historical context, focuses especially on the structural arrangement of the various versions, the relationship between letters, and the methods of reading. Each interpretive step is then analyzed within a framework of linguistic and historical coherence, supported by solid historical and epigraphic documentation. The article demonstrates that the matrix of the Sator Square possesses an internal logic and that, once the problematic nature of the word AREPO is resolved, it is possible to arrive at a concrete and univocal solution. Finally, the article relates the symbolic and semantic value of the Sator Square to a broader cultural horizon, one that includes ancient Egyptian apotropaic rites and later assimilations in the Greco-Roman period, up to Pompeian context linked to the cults of Isis and Serapis. The contribution overturns the idea of the Sator Square as a mere word puzzle, revealing a complex stratification of meanings that helps explain its reuse and survival over time.