892 - IV 892 - IV was the inhabited fourth planet of the 892 system . Classified as M - class , the planet was orbited by two moon s and was the homeworld of the 892 - IV native s , a pre - warp humanoid species . As Commander Spock , science officer of the , noted , 892 - IV had a striking resemblance to Earth . However , as much as there were similarities , there were differences . The proportion of land to water , density ( 5 . 5g ) , and atmosphere ( 78 % nitrogen , 21 % oxygen ) were exactly like those on Earth . However , unlike Earth , the diameter at the equator ( 7 , 917 miles ) and layout of the continent s were different . ( ) History . This planet was cited as evidence of Hodgkin ' s Law of Parallel Planetary Development . The English language had evolved , and a parallel of the Roman Empire existed here . By the mid - 23rd century , the planet had reached the development of Earth ' s 20th century . Technology included radio communications , road system and powered transportation ( such as the Jupiter 8 ) , but no atomic power . Gladiator ial games became televised . With each century , even slaves received rights to medicine and government payments in their old age ; the Empire eventually managed to stop rebellions and even wars for four hundred years , achieving stability . The Romans believed in a pantheon of gods , but a nascent movement known as Children of the Son , a parallel to Christianity on Earth , started to be embraced by gladiators , slaves , and even senator s , disrupting the stability of the conservative Empire . In 2262 , the Federation class 4 stardrive survey vessel was badly damaged by a meteor in the system and a landing party beam ed down to obtain iridium ore for repairs . The party was met by the locals , led by Proconsul Claudius Marcus who considered it potentially ruinous to his highly conservative society if word of its existence should be carried elsewhere ; the officers were regarded as captured barbarians and forced to fight as gladiators . However , the " Beagle " ' s captain R . M . Merik became First Citizen . Captain James T . Kirk and the crew of the " Enterprise " visited the planet 892 - IV six years later , on stardate 4040 . 7 , after investigating the debris of the " Beagle " . They were held captives both by fugitives and later the proconsul and Merik . The " Enterprise " managed to escape and speculated that the new religion might bring the transformation of the Empire , much like Christianity did to the Roman Empire . ( ) Geography . 892 - IV had several oceans and at least three continents . The land that the landing party from the " Enterprise " visited was politically subdivided into a number of province s . Background information . This planet was described in the " The Worlds of the Federation " ( p . 108 ) as being very similar to Earth , to the point that the shape of its continents and other planets of its solar system were nearly identical . Both the original and the remastered version of " Bread and Circuses " showed a very different continental arrangement . This work established the indigenous name of the planet as Magna Roma . It is located in the UFC 892 system . According to " " ( p . 54 ) , FGC - 892 IV was located in the Beta Quadrant . The official name of the government was the Roman Empire . It was a non - aligned world that hadn ' t yet become warp - capable . The planetary capital was Rome . The dominant species were the humanoid citizens and barbarians . In 2378 , there were an estimated 8 . 6 billion people living on the planet . The society ' s technology was nearly equivalent to the mid - 21st century on Earth . Apocrypha . The planet was revisited in the novel " The Captains ' Honor " set 100 years after the encounter by the original " Enterprise " crew . The novel detailed how the alternate Rome conquered their world and explained that the Romans were now Federation members and were participating in galactic affairs utilizing at least one starship , the former renamed the USS " Centurion " , and ran according to their own methods and principles .