In 2020, archaeologists discovered in Vindolanda in northern England a 5th-century chalice covered in religious iconography, including the Chi-Rho. The symbol was also found on Late Roman Christian signet rings in Britain. Another Romano-British Chi-Rho, in fresco, was found at the site of a villa at Lullingstone (illustrated).
On stylistic grounds, it is dated to the 4th century its central roundel represents a beardless male head and bust draped in a pallium in front of the Chi-Rho symbol, flanked by pomegranates, symbols of eternal life. In Roman Britannia, a tesselated mosaic pavement was uncovered at Hinton St. The usurper Magnentius appears to have been the first to use the Chi-Rho monogram flanked by Alpha and Omega, on the reverse of some coins minted in 353. By the year 350, the Chi-Rho began to be used on Christian sarcophagi and frescoes. Coins and medallions minted during Emperor Constantine's reign also bore the Chi-Rho. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence demonstrating that the Chi-Rho was emblazoned on the helmets of some Late Roman soldiers. Īfter Constantine, the Chi-Rho became part of the official imperial insignia. See also: Resurrection of Jesus in Christian art Late antiquity Īn early visual representation of the connection between the Crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection, seen in the 4th century sarcophagus of Domitilla in Rome, the use of a wreath around the Chi-Rho symbolizes the victory of the Resurrection over death. That night, Christ appeared to the Roman emperor in a dream and told him to make a replica of the sign he had seen in the sky, which would be a sure defence in battle.Įusebius wrote in the Vita that Constantine himself had told him this story "and confirmed it with oaths" late in life "when I was deemed worthy of his acquaintance and company." "Indeed", says Eusebius, "had anyone else told this story, it would not have been easy to accept it."Įusebius also left a description of the labarum, the military standard which incorporated the Chi-Rho sign, used by Emperor Constantine in his later wars against Licinius. Not only Constantine, but the whole army saw the miracle. Attached to it, in Greek characters, was the saying "Ev tούτῳ Νίκα!" (“In this, conquer!”). At noon, Constantine saw a cross of light imposed over the sun. In this later version, the Roman emperor had been pondering the misfortunes that befell commanders who invoked the help of many different gods, and decided to seek divine aid in the forthcoming battle from the One God. In a memoir of the Roman emperor that Eusebius wrote after Constantine's death ( On the Life of Constantine, circa 337–339), a miraculous appearance is said to have come in Gaul long before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. In his church history, written shortly after the battle, when Eusebius hadn't yet had contact with Constantine, he doesn't mention any dream or vision, but compares the defeat of Maxentius (drowned in the Tiber) to that of the biblical pharaoh and credits Constantine's victory to divine protection. Īlthough formed of Greek characters, the device (or its separate parts) is frequently found serving as an abbreviation in Latin text, with endings added appropriate to a Latin noun, thus XPo, signifying Christo, “to Christ”, the dative form of Christus, or χρ̅icola, signifying Christicola, “Christian”, in the Latin lyrics of Sumer is icumen in.Įmperor Constantine the Great's labarum, a standard incorporating the wreathed Chi-Rho, from an antique silver medal.Įusebius of Caesarea (died in 339) gave two different accounts of the events. In pre-Christian times, the Chi-Rho symbol was also used to mark a particularly valuable or relevant passage in the margin of a page, abbreviating chrēston (good). Early symbols similar to the Chi Rho were the Staurogram ( ) and the IX monogram ( ). Constantine's standard was known as the Labarum.
306–337 AD) as part of a military standard ( vexillum). The Chi-Rho symbol was used by the Roman Emperor Constantine I (r. The Chi Rho ( ☧, English pronunciation / ˈ k aɪ ˈ r oʊ/ also known as chrismon ) is one of the earliest forms of Christogram, formed by superimposing the first two (capital) letters- chi and rho ( ΧΡ)-of the Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ( Christos) in such a way that the vertical stroke of the rho intersects the center of the chi.
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