DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14696#0678
The double axe and the labarum 603
have had a detailed account of the vision from the lips of the victor
himself:
'He said that about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he
saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the
sun, and bearing the inscription, Conquer by this. At this sight he himself
was struck with amazement, and his whole army also, which followed him on
this expedition, and witnessed the miracle. He said, moreover, that he doubted
within himself what the import of this apparition could be. And while he con-
tinued to ponder and reason on its meaning, night suddenly came on ; then in
his sleep the Christ of God appeared to him with the same sign which he had
seen in the heavens, and commanded him to make a likeness of that sign which
he had seen in the heavens, and to use it as a safeguard in all engagements with
his enemies. At dawn of day he arose, and communicated the marvel to his
friends : and then, calling together the workers in gold and precious stones, he
sat in the midst of them, and described to them the figure of the sign he had
seen, bidding them represent it in gold and precious stones. And this representa-
tion I myself have had an opportunity of seeing. Now it was made in the following
manner. A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by
means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of the whole was fixed a
wreath of gold and precious stones ; and within this, the symbol of the Saviour's
name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters,
the letter P being intersected by X in its centre: and these letters the emperor
was in the habit of wearing on his helmet at a later period. From the cross-bar
of the spear was suspended a cloth, a royal piece, covered with a profuse em-
broidery of most brilliant precious stones ; and which, being also richly interlaced
with gold, presented an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder. This
banner was of a square form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of
great length, bore a golden half-length portrait of the pious emperor and his
children on its upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately
above the embroidered banner. The emperor constantly made use of this sign
of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and hostile power, and com-
manded that others similar to it should be carried at the head of all his armies1.'
The celestial sign described by Eusebios as 'the trophy of a cross of
light' may be identical with that described by Lactantius. But the
standard made in imitation of it was more elaborate and involved
some new features. In particular, while retaining the old feretrum
or trophy-cross as the support for an embroidered banner, it added
at the top of all a wreath containing the monogram >j<. And this
fresh symbol was from the outset accepted as an essential part of
the Christian standard. C. M. Kaufmann2, building on the labours
of F. VV. Madden3, has constructed a useful chronological table of
1 See further Euseb. v. Const. 2. 3, 2. 6—9, 2. 12, 4. 21, Sokr. hist. eccl. 1. 2 (lxvii. 37
Migne), Sozom. hist. eccl. 1. 3 f. (lxvii. 865, 868 Migne), Gelasios of Kyzikos 1. 4 (lxxxv.
1204 B—c Migne).
2 C. M. Kaufmann Handbuch der christlicheu Archdologie Paderborn 1913 p. 642 f.
3 F. W. Madden 'Christian Emblems on the Coins of Constantine I. the Great, his
Family, and his Successors' in the Num. Chron. New Series 1877 xvii. 11—56 pi. r,
242—307 pi. 7 f., id. 1878 xviii. 1—48 pi. 1 f., 169—215 pis. 8—10.
have had a detailed account of the vision from the lips of the victor
himself:
'He said that about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he
saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the
sun, and bearing the inscription, Conquer by this. At this sight he himself
was struck with amazement, and his whole army also, which followed him on
this expedition, and witnessed the miracle. He said, moreover, that he doubted
within himself what the import of this apparition could be. And while he con-
tinued to ponder and reason on its meaning, night suddenly came on ; then in
his sleep the Christ of God appeared to him with the same sign which he had
seen in the heavens, and commanded him to make a likeness of that sign which
he had seen in the heavens, and to use it as a safeguard in all engagements with
his enemies. At dawn of day he arose, and communicated the marvel to his
friends : and then, calling together the workers in gold and precious stones, he
sat in the midst of them, and described to them the figure of the sign he had
seen, bidding them represent it in gold and precious stones. And this representa-
tion I myself have had an opportunity of seeing. Now it was made in the following
manner. A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by
means of a transverse bar laid over it. On the top of the whole was fixed a
wreath of gold and precious stones ; and within this, the symbol of the Saviour's
name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters,
the letter P being intersected by X in its centre: and these letters the emperor
was in the habit of wearing on his helmet at a later period. From the cross-bar
of the spear was suspended a cloth, a royal piece, covered with a profuse em-
broidery of most brilliant precious stones ; and which, being also richly interlaced
with gold, presented an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder. This
banner was of a square form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of
great length, bore a golden half-length portrait of the pious emperor and his
children on its upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately
above the embroidered banner. The emperor constantly made use of this sign
of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and hostile power, and com-
manded that others similar to it should be carried at the head of all his armies1.'
The celestial sign described by Eusebios as 'the trophy of a cross of
light' may be identical with that described by Lactantius. But the
standard made in imitation of it was more elaborate and involved
some new features. In particular, while retaining the old feretrum
or trophy-cross as the support for an embroidered banner, it added
at the top of all a wreath containing the monogram >j<. And this
fresh symbol was from the outset accepted as an essential part of
the Christian standard. C. M. Kaufmann2, building on the labours
of F. VV. Madden3, has constructed a useful chronological table of
1 See further Euseb. v. Const. 2. 3, 2. 6—9, 2. 12, 4. 21, Sokr. hist. eccl. 1. 2 (lxvii. 37
Migne), Sozom. hist. eccl. 1. 3 f. (lxvii. 865, 868 Migne), Gelasios of Kyzikos 1. 4 (lxxxv.
1204 B—c Migne).
2 C. M. Kaufmann Handbuch der christlicheu Archdologie Paderborn 1913 p. 642 f.
3 F. W. Madden 'Christian Emblems on the Coins of Constantine I. the Great, his
Family, and his Successors' in the Num. Chron. New Series 1877 xvii. 11—56 pi. r,
242—307 pi. 7 f., id. 1878 xviii. 1—48 pi. 1 f., 169—215 pis. 8—10.