Ego

May Special Project

By Romana 04/06/2011

In Latin, ego simply means I am.  However, this story is not simply about ego, but about a construction called Ego Magnus.  One has to locate this in an obscure story by the Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (43 BC – 18 AD) colloquially known as Ovid.  The transcription of this story periodically appears on the internet; then it disappears just as everyone’s appetite is whetted.

Ego Magnus is clearly described as a cylindrical construction made of brass and iron, which has rare glass windows.  There is discussion of dual entry doors, as well as an object inside called the Heart of Hercules.  On the roof, there was a remote-controlled javelin launcher. Ovid clearly refers to the object as Luna Navis, or moon ship.

The setting is at a villa in southern Spain.  There was some kind of intrigue going on.  Since Nazis had not been invented yet, Gauls had to fill in.  The Ego Magnus represented the greatest piece of technology of that age.  It was so valuable, that an entire legion had been assigned to protect it from the Gauls, who want to possess it so badly. There was a battle outside the villa walls, and the death toll was extremely high.

Ovid had to stretch all known vocabulary just to describe the Ego Magnus.  There were hints of glowing panels that displayed changing Roman numerals.  There were three Greek gear computers that were magically hooked to the glowing panels.

Of course, there was the Heart of Hercules, said to be a gift from the gods.

Sailors were assigned to the Ego Magnus.  The crew consisted of two Roman centurions, four Greek scientists, and two Greek women.  Women: that seems like an advanced idea…oh, I forgot what function the women always fulfilled.

Ovid described the Ego Magnus rising into the sky, surrounded by a red glow.  The men of the legion cheered it onward. Soon, it vanished from sight.  Soon, the moon would become part of the Roman republic.

Alas, the Ego Magnus never returned.  What had gone wrong?  Did the crew understand that heat and replenished air were necessary, as well as carbon dioxide collectors?  Exactly how were they going to plant a Roman standard on the moon?  Did they know that the moon was totally airless?   Was the Heart of Hercules some kind of alien device?

If the voyage had been a success, perhaps it would have become part of history.  However, Romans were notorious for hiding their failures.  It is all now just a blip in a very secretive account by Ovid.

Think of all the ancient technology that we never imagined.  Think in awe of the deeds of the first space travelers. Will future travelers to the moon find the remains of an ancient Roman spaceship, containing the desiccated remains of the eight crew members?  In death, the two women would have attained a glory that they never knew in life.  Imagine how the story would break.

If there is a Roman standard clearly imbedded in lunar soil, will the Italians claim ownership of the moon?