Chi Rho

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Chi-rho
)
Not to be confused with
Chi-Ro, Chiro, or Cairo
.
For other uses, see Chi Rho (disambiguation).
The Chi-Rho symbol

The Chi Rho (☧, English pronunciation /ˈkaɪ ˈroʊ/; also known as chrismon[1]) is one of the earliest forms of the Christogram, formed by superimposing the first two (capital) letters—chi and rho (ΧΡ)—of the Greek ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ (rom: Christos) in such a way that the vertical stroke of the rho intersects the center of the chi.[2]

The Chi-Rho symbol was used by the

military standard (vexillum). Constantine's standard was known as the Labarum. Early symbols similar to the Chi Rho were the Staurogram () and the IX monogram (
).

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).[3] Some coins of Ptolemy III Euergetes (r. 246–222 BC) were marked with a Chi-Rho.[4]

Although 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,[5] or χρ̅icola, signifying Christicola, "Christian", in the Latin lyrics of Sumer is icumen in
.

Missorium depicting Emperor Constantine the Great's son Constantius II accompanied by a guardsman with the Chi-Rho depicted on his shield (at left, behind the horse).

Origin and adoption

According to

Latin: coeleste signum dei) on the shields of his soldiers. The description of the actual symbol chosen by Emperor Constantine the next morning, as reported by Lactantius, is not very clear: it closely resembles a Tau-Rho or a staurogram (), a similar Christian symbol. That very day Constantine's army fought the forces of Maxentius and won the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312), outside Rome
.

chi rho on a coin of Crispus c. 326
This coin of Crispus, son of Constantine, with a chi rho on the shield (struck c. 326) shows that the symbol mentioned by Lactantius and Eusebius was a chi rho.
Emperor Constantine the Great's labarum, a standard incorporating the wreathed Chi-Rho, from an antique silver medal.

Eusebius of Caesarea (died in 339) gave two different accounts of the events. In his church history, written shortly after the battle, when Eusebius had not yet had contact with Constantine, he does not 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.

Labarum with the Chi Rho on top.

In a memoir of the Roman emperor that Eusebius wrote after Constantine's death (On the Life of Constantine, c. 337–339), a miraculous appearance is said to have come in

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.

Eusebius 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."

Eusebius 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.[8]

Saint Ambrose to introduce the catechumens to the mysteries of the Christian faith (whence it was called "oracle" or chresmos of St. Ambrose, written by Landulf as crismon, whence the later Neo-Latin term for the Chi-Rho symbol).[9][10]

Later usage

See also: Resurrection of Jesus in Christian art

Late antiquity

An early visual representation of the connection between the

Domitilla in Rome, the use of a wreath around the Chi-Rho symbolizes the victory of the Resurrection over death.[11]

After Constantine, the Chi-Rho became part of the official

Roman Britannia, a tesselated mosaic pavement was uncovered at Hinton St. Mary, Dorset, in 1963. 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. Another Romano-British Chi-Rho, in fresco, was found at the site of a villa at Lullingstone (illustrated). The symbol was also found on Late Roman Christian signet rings in Britain.[13]

In 2020, archaeologists discovered in Vindolanda in northern England a 5th-century chalice covered in religious iconography, including the Chi-Rho.[14][15]

Insular Gospel books

In

Incarnation of Christ, was usually marked with a heavily decorated page, where the letters of the first word "Christi" are abbreviated and written in Greek as "XPI", and often almost submerged by decoration.[16]
Though the letters are written one after the other and the "X" and "P" not combined in a monogram, these are known as Chi-Rho pages.

Famous examples are in the

Crucifixion of Christ,[19] and in some manuscripts the Chi-Rho occurs at the beginning of Matthew rather than mid-text at Matthew 1:18. In some other works like the Carolingian Godescalc Evangelistary, "XPS" in sequential letters, representing "Christus" is given a prominent place.[20]

In Unicode

The Chi Rho symbol has two

Unicode codepoints
:

Gallery

See also

References

Notes

  1. Middle Latin crismon), specifically applied to the "Chrismon of Saint Ambrose" in Milan Cathedral. Crismon (par les Bénédictins de St. Maur, 1733–1736), in: du Cange, et al., Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, ed. augm., Niort: L. Favre, 1883‑1887, t. 2, col. 621b. "CRISMON, Nota quæ in libro ex voluntate uniuscujusque ad aliquid notandum ponitur. Papias in MS. Bituric. Crismon vel Chrismon proprie est Monogramma Christi sic expressum ☧"; 1 chrismon (par les Bénédictins de St. Maur, 1733–1736), in: du Cange, et al., Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, ed. augm., Niort : L. Favre, 1883‑1887, t. 2, col. 318c Archived 2016-08-26 at the Wayback Machine
    .
  2. ^ Steffler 2002, p. 66.
  3. ^ Southern 2001, p. 281; Grant 1998, p. 142, citing Bruun, Studies in Constantinian Numismatics.
  4. ^ von Reden 2007, p. 69: "The chi-rho series of Euergetes' reign had been the most extensive series of bronze coins ever minted, comprising eight denominations from 1 chalkous to 4 obols."
  5. Thomas de Camoys, 1st Baron Camoys (d.1421) in St George's Church, Trotton
    , Sussex, England
  6. ^ Lactantius. On the Deaths of the Persecutors, Chapter 44.
  7. ^ The well known sentence In hoc signo vinces is simply a later Latin translation of Eusebius's Greek wording.
  8. ^ Eusebius Pamphilius: Church History, Life of Constantine, Oration in Praise of Constantine, Chapter 31.
  9. ^ Kenelm Henry Digby, Mores Catholici, Or, Ages of Faith vol. 1 (1844), p. 300.
  10. ^ A. L. Millin, Voyage dans le Milanais (1817), p. 51.
  11. ^ Harries 2004, p. 8. Sarcophagus with Scenes of the Passion (probably from the Catacomb of Domitilla), Rome, mid-fourth century. Marble, 23ʺ x 80ʺ. Museo Pio Christiano, Vatican, Rome.
  12. ^ Kellner 1968, p. 57ff. See also Grigg 1977, p. 469 (Note #4).
  13. ^ Johns 1996, p. 67.
  14. ^ "Hadrian's Wall dig reveals oldest Christian graffiti on chalice". theguardian. 29 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Early Christian Chalice Unearthed in Northern England". archaeology.org. 31 August 2020.
  16. ^ In the Latin Vulgate the verse was "Christi autem generatio sic erat cum esset desponsata mater eius Maria Ioseph antequam convenirent inventa est in utero habens de Spiritu Sancto" ("Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit")
  17. ^ Lewis 1980, pp. 142–143.
  18. ^ Lewis 1980, pp. 143–144.
  19. ^ Lewis 1980, p. 144.
  20. ^ Lewis 1980, p. 153.

Bibliography

Further reading

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chi_Rho&oldid=1220328118"