Constantine and the Chi Rho

Coins depicting
Constantine and his
standard

The Chi Rho is a symbol used to represent or identify Christ in many historical works of

art. Considered one of the earliest forms of Christian Iconography, it is formed by

superimposing the first two capital letters of Christ’s name. It was used by Constantine as a

military standard said to bring him good fortune in battle, and in many works of art it is seen as

an identifier of Jesus.

It is believed that Constantine, like many of predecessors, worshiped Roman gods, as

evident by the appearance of Mars and Victory on his currency. What’s more interesting,

however, is how it is recorded that he continued to worship these gods even after Christ

supposedly appeared to him in a dream. While images of Roman gods began disappearing from

his minted coins, later coins depicted the Sol Invicta, or unconquered sun, for at least 10 years

after his dream. It’s suggested by many that Constantine didn’t fully convert until after the

battle of Milvian bridge, where he believed the inclusion of the Chi Rho on his standard was a
key factor in his victory. This led to Constantine declaring Christianity the preferred religion of

his empire, and soon the Roman and Greek gods all but disappeared from Roman life. 1

In battle, Constantine’s Chi Rho standards were a sacred and recognized part of his

army. Only fifty soldiers in his regiment at a time were recognized for bravery and piety and

were entrusted with keeping the sacred banner safe. Records detail the key details that made

this standard so immediately recognizable and beautiful; embroidered into the fabric were

precious stones and gold thread, and hanging from the pole that held the banner were cast

medallions featuring Constantine’s family. Embroidered above the symbol were the words “in

hoc signo vinces”, roughly meaning “in this sign I shall conquer”. 2 The sign was also etched on

every soldier’s shield, an insignia for divine protection.

Artist depiction of Constantinople

1
[ CITATION Ros99 \l 1033 ]
2
[ CITATION Mau10 \l 1033 ]
soldier carrying Chi-Rho shield