Every religious tradition is inherent in its own set of spiritual symbols.They can both play the role of brand logos, and carry a deep sense of sacred-mysterial.Is no exception to this rule and Christianity.For all his lack of confidence (in the orthodox current) to various kinds of esoteric symbolism and it has developed its own, sometimes florid and multifaceted characters.One of those signs, namely the so-called cross of Emperor Constantine, and will be considered in this article.
Legend about the origin of the cross of Constantine
Strictly speaking, the mark - not a cross.That's right it is called a monogram - a symbol formed of several letters, displaying the image of the character of a particular religious doctrine - Jesus Christ.According to Christian tradition, the cross Konstantinov played an extremely important role in the history of the church.By the force and significance it is second only to the usual cross.
Why is it so important for Christians?The answer to this question is given by the following legend: at the dawn of the Christian era, in the early fourth century, the Roman Empire there was a conflict between two government officials - Maxentius and Constantine.The result of contention was a battle known as the Battle of the Milvian Bridge (312 year).On the eve of the battle was the Emperor Constantine in the sky specific symbol, followed by the words "By this sign conquer."Inspired by the wonderful phenomenon, Constantine ordered to play this character on the military panels, as well as put it on labarum - military imperial flag.
fact, won a landslide victory in the battle, Constantine made the sign of the foundation for personal printing and a symbol of the state.He himself thus became adept internally Christian faith.Although for a long time remained unbaptized, to assert his authority, he will always stop the persecution and harassment of Christians in the Roman Empire.This cross Konstantinov is present hristogrammoy, used in churches.Its other name - the chrism.
reflect this legend the historical reality or not, but it gives to understand why Christians are so cherished and so appreciate this sign.He turned the course of history, drawing Emperor - the supreme pagan priest - on the side of the Christians, resulting in a small sect of followers of Jesus began by numerous religious movement in the world.
first mention hristogrammy
first known to date source of information, which refers to the cross of Constantine the Great - it works church historian Lactantius (320 year).It reproduces the above version of the events with the addition that the phenomenon was accompanied by a voice that repeated Greek Latin inscription.
Another church historian, and to the same and personal biographer of Constantine - Eusebius, bishop of Neo-Caesarea, at different times, reported two versions of origin hristogrammy.According to earlier, it was the future Emperor long before the year 312, when he was in Gaul.However, he later abandons this version, subordinating his description of the standard opinion.However, referring to the private oral report of the emperor himself, he said that the symbol of which was the eclipsed sun and together with Konstantin spectacle watched the whole army, consisting of forty thousand people.
third source just is testimony of one of the soldiers who took part in the battle of the bridge and Mulviyskogo own eyes beheld the sky Konstantinov cross.His name - Artemije and his story is aimed at exposure of the emperor Julian the Apostate, who, as is known, renounced Christianity, he decided to revive the pagan institutions in the Roman Empire.They Artemije and was executed.
Origin hristogrammy
Historical research suggests that the chrism is pre-Christian origin, and probably was borrowed and adapted church leaders for two reasons:
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Because Christians have long been outlawed, they were forced to conspireand use common pagan symbols, filling them with its own content.Likewise among Christians were popular image of Orpheus, Helios and the other gods.A Konstantinov directly cross - it's likely adapted solar symbol of the ancient Chaldeans.
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Greek word "Chrestos", meaning "auspicious", could also be represented graphically by the first two letters.Because of this character easily Christianized in the circles of the followers of Jesus, who gave him the meaning of "Christ".
Anyway, even in times dokonstantinovskie are several kinds of Christian and pagan monograms inverse images.
Distribution chrism
Before hristogramma became known as the Cross of St. Constantine, it was used mostly in meeting places of Christians.The oldest examples of it are found in the catacombs - underground cemeteries that members of the church was used as a place of assembly and of ministries.Similar symbols brought us the funerary monuments and sarcophagi Christians.
After the legalization of the symbol began to be used as a religious sign in the newly built churches.On the other hand, it served as an element of decoration and decor - they decorated bowls, lamps, boxes and other church utensils.In secular circles, as has been said, it was the state seal hristogramma Constantine himself and several of his successors, as well as the official symbol of the military Labarum, replacing the traditional place of the Roman eagle.
Monogram ιχ
addition, hristogramma, visually similar to the Russian letter "F" was used in the Christian churches already in the III century, long before the accession of Constantine to the throne.There was no letter ρ (rho) - instead it was ι (iota), which means "Jesus".It is even possible that this letter later acquired a symbolic view of the pastoral (ie bishop Christians) rod - a staff with a twisted end.It was he who later became associated with the letter ρ.
Monogram χρ
This version of the main character, and if I may say so, in the canonical Christian church.That he is called "Cross of Constantine."Photos provided below it.About
sense chrism
Various mystical groups as among the orthodox church, and among other trends, attached importance to the inner meaning of the Greek letters.Even the New Testament contains explicit references to the gematria - search method hidden meaning through the calculation of the amounts correspond to the letters of words and names.In the same way you can analyze the cross of Constantine.
value it attaches to the first two letters of the word "Christ."The sum of their numerical values is exactly 700, that played up in a special way in a complex Gnostic theology.Therefore, in the ancient but little known tradition today number 700 serves as a synonym for Christ.And if, for example, consider the letters hristogrammy separately, we get the following: χ (chi) - the macrocosm is, the totality of the universe.The numerical value - 100. ι (iota), in contrast, represents a microcosm.Its value - 10. Thus, a visual symbol of the unity of microcosm and macrocosm - the relationship of part and whole, the great in the small.In the case of a later version of the chrism, where ι is replaced by ρ, it is a symbol of divine creation (due to the semantics of the letter ρ).It carries the importance of the creative forces of the world order, the female generative power.
Related characters
Very often with the chrism used two letters of the Greek alphabet - α (alpha) and ω (omega), which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and indicate the beginning and end of the world and all its ontological essence,enclosed in the intermediate letters.The beginning of this symbolism in Christianity gave the Bible, but rather the book of Revelation, where the words "I am the Alpha and the Omega" puts into the mouth of Jesus Christ.
