Magna Roma, or 892-IV, was a Class M world located in the 892 star system. The planet was orbited by two moons and was home to a humanoid race which developed a culture very similar to that of Earth's Roman Empire. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation)
History and specifics[]
Magna Roma was later cited as an example of Hodgkin's Law of Parallel Planetary Development as it developed a parallel Empire. (TOS episode: "Bread and Circuses")
It was later theorized that the planet was populated by the descendants of Earth Romans that were placed on Magna Roma by the Preservers. (TOS novel: Ex Machina)
In the year 2260, the SS Beagle received a meteorite impact and was damaged, leading to a crash on 892-IV. (Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook)
In 2262, the Beagle was severely damaged once more by a meteor. A landing party beamed down to collect iridium ore for repairs. They were met by the locals, led by Proconsul Claudius Marcus. He deemed it potentially ruinous to his conservative society if word of their existence spread elsewhere. The crew members were considered captured barbarians and given a choice: live quietly in Roman society while keeping their extraterrestrial background a secret, or fight as gladiators. Captain R.M. Merik became the First Citizen.
Six years later, on stardate 4040.7, Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise visited the planet. They had investigated the debris of the Beagle. Captured by fugitives and later the proconsul and Merik, the Enterprise managed to escape. They speculated that a new religion might bring about the transformation of the Empire, much like Christianity did to the Roman Empire. (TOS episode: "Bread and Circuses")
Starfleet marked the planet as “off-limits.” (TOS reference: The Autobiography of James T. Kirk)
Five years later the imperial government collapsed and soon after the Republic of Magna Roma was established. (TNG novel: The Captain's Honor)
In 2288, the USS Enterprise-A returned to the planet under orders from Admiral John Van Robbins to determine if there was cultural contamination from their last visit. Enterprise entered orbit and monitored their radio and television transmissions, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Kirk decided a to constitute a landing party in disguise in clothing roughly corresponding to the Earth year 1990 and beamed down to a midsize city. Rome had not fallen, although the emperor had allowed Christianity to flourish. It was already the dominant religion of the empire. We saw several examples of Christian churches nestled between homes and businesses, and religious iconography was prevalent. It was then discovered that a Film titled The Final Frontier had been produced (according to The Making of ‘The Final Frontier’) by a filmmaker, named Eugenio, a former slave. It depicted the crew of Enterprise travelling to the center of the galaxy to find God. Among the film's credits where three former crew members of the Beagle listed under Consultants. The Enterprise crew reviewed the film and Kirk concluded that the film accurately depicted Starfleet and the Federation, and its portrayal himself, Spock, and McCoy was spot-on. Whether the film itself constituted a breach of the Prime Directive was in question. (TOS reference: The Autobiography of James T. Kirk)
By the mid-24th century, Magna Roma had become a member of the United Federation of Planets. When the Constitution-class USS Farragut was decommissioned, it was given to Magna Roma, and renamed the USS Centurion. (TNG novel: The Captains' Honor)
Circa 2259 of the Kelvin timeline, the USS Enterprise participated in a mission to this world. The mission there earned Montgomery Scott a Special Commendation. (TOS video game: Star Trek App)
Locations[]
- Rome (Magna Roma)
- Germania
- Britannia
- The Legion
Appendices[]
Connections[]
External link[]
Magna Roma article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.