Chi Rho

The Chi Rho ; also required as chrismon is one of the earliest forms of christogram, formed by superimposing the first two capital letters—chi in addition to rho ΧΡ—of a Greek word ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ Christos in such(a) a way that the vertical stroke of the rho intersects the center of the chi.

The Chi-Rho symbol was used by the & the .

In pre-Christian times, the Chi-Rho symbol was also used to family a especially valuable or applicable passage in the margin of a page, abbreviating chrēston good. Some coins of Ptolemy III Euergetes r. 246–222 BC were marked with a Chi-Rho.

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 clear of Christus.

The Chi Rho symbol has two Miscellaneous symbols block and U+2CE9 ⳩ COPTIC SYMBOL KHI RO in the Coptic block.

Origin and adoption

According to , a similar Christian symbol. That very day Constantine's army fought the forces of Maxentius and won the Battle of the Milvian Bridge 312, external Rome.

Eusebius of Caesarea died in 339 exposed two different accounts of the events. In his church history, result 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.

In a memoir of the Roman emperor that Eusebius wrote after Constantine's death On the Life of Constantine, circa 337–339, a miraculous outline is said to work come in Gaul long previously the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. 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. At noon, Constantine saw a cross of light imposed over the sun. Attached to it, in Greek characters, was the saying "Ev tούτῳ Νίκα!" “In this, conquer!”. not only Constantine, but the whole army saw the miracle. That night, Christ appeared to the Roman emperor in a dream and told him to make a replica of thehe had seen in the sky, which would be adefence in battle.

Eusebius wrote in the Vita that Constantine himself had told him this story "and confirmed it with oaths" behind in life "when I was deemed worthy of his acquaintance and company." "Indeed", says Eusebius, "had anyone else told this story, it would non have been easy to accept it."

Eusebius also left a version of the labarum, the military indications which incorporated the Chi-Rho sign, used by Emperor Constantine in his later wars against Licinius.