5/19/2014 In hoc signo vinces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_hoc_signo_vinces 1/4
Detail from The Vision of the Cross by assistants of
Raphael, depicting the vision of the cross and the
Greek writing " " in the sky, before
the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Sample of use of "In hoc signo vinces" in a 1721
Portuguese coin
In hoc signo vinces
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In hoc signo vinces (reconstructed Latin pronunciation
[n hok sno wnkes], ecclesiastical pronunciation
[in ok sio vintes]) is a Latin phrase meaning "In this
sign you will conquer." It may be related to the Greek
phrase " " en touto nika, (Ancient Greek: [en
tti nka]) meaning '"in this thing conquer."
Contents
1 History
2 Use by nobility
3 Cultural references
3.1 Military
3.2 Schools
3.3 Sports
3.4 Other
4 Notes
5 Sources
History
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius was an early
Christian author (c. 240 c. 320) who became an advisor
to the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine I,
guiding his religious policy as it developed, and tutor to
his son.
[1]
His work De Mortibus Persecutorum has an
apologetic character, but has been treated as a work of
history by Christian writers. Here Lactantius preserves the story of Constantine's vision of the Chi Rho before
his conversion to Christianity. The full text is found in only one manuscript, which bears the title, Lucii
Caecilii liber ad Donatum Confessorem de Mortibus Persecutorum.
The historian bishop Eusebius of Caesaria states that Constantine was marching with his army (Eusebius does
not specify the actual location of the event, but it is clearly not in the camp at Rome), when he looked up to the
sun and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words "() " ("In this, conquer"),
often rendered in Latin as In hoc signo vinces ("in this sign, you will conquer").
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At first, Constantine did not know the meaning of the apparition, but on the following night, he had a dream in
which Christ explained to him that he should use the sign of the cross against his enemies. Eusebius then
continues to describe the Labarum, the military standard used by Constantine in his later wars against Licinius,
showing the Chi-Rho sign.
The phrase appears prominently placed as a motto on a ribbon unfurled with a passion cross to its left, beneath
a window over the Scala Regia, adjacent to the equestrian statue of Emperor Constantine, in the Vatican.
Emperors and other monarchs, having paid respects to the Pope, descended the Scala Regia, and would
observe the light shining down through the window, with the motto, reminiscent of Constantine's vision, and
be reminded to follow the Cross. They would thence turn right into the atrium of St. Peter's Basilica,
ostensibly so inspired.
Use by nobility
The phrase is the motto on some Byzantine silver coins (f.e. the silver miliaresia of Basil II and Constantine
VIII, coined between 977 and 989).
It appears on the coat of arms borne by Jan III Sobieski and other members of the Sobieski line; it is also on
the coat of arms of the Irish noble dynasty of O'Donnell of Tyrconnell, the Noble House of Vassallo, and is
the motto of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George.
It was used as a motto by the Portuguese monarchy. According to the legend, King Afonso I of Portugal saw
the sign of the "quinas" -Portugal's heraldic symbol- at the battle of Ourique, adopting them as the national
symbol and the motto as a consequence. This legend is told in The Lusiads by Lus de Cames.
Cultural references
Military
Inscribed on the banner of the Sanfedismo in 1799
[2]
Inscribed in Greek on the flag (obverse side) of the Sacred Band of the Greek War of Independence
[3]
Inscribed in Greek on the coat of arms, insignia and flag of the 22nd Tank Brigade (XXII ) of the
Greek Army
[4]
Inscribed on the insignia of the Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533 of the United States
Marine Corps.
Schools
Motto of Holy Cross College, Kalutara, Sri Lanka
[5]
Motto of Quitman High School, Quitman, Louisiana USA
[6]
Motto of Instituto Tecnolgico de Mrida, Mrida, Mexico
[7]
Motto of Holy Cross College, Arima, Trinidad
[8]
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Motto of Holy Cross School, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
[9]
Motto of Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, Tbilisi, Georgia
[10]
Motto of Wah Yan College, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
[11]
Motto of Wah Yan College, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong
[12]
Motto of the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA
[13]
Sports
Crest of the Royal Hockey Club, Antwerp, Belgium
[14]
Other
Is the motto on the coat of arms of the city of Plze, Czech Republic.
[15]
Is the motto of the far-right street protest movement, the English Defence League
The phrase is in the coat of arms of the city of Birkirkara, the largest city on the island of Malta, and the
city of Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
[16]
Notes
1. ^ "Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius" (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08736a.htm). Online Catholic
Encyclopedia. New Advent.
2. ^ Chadwick, Owen. 1981. The Popes and European Revolution. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-826919-6. p.
474.
3. ^ Helene P. Kokkone, Katerina Korre-Zographou, Chrysa Daskalopoulou (1997). , ,
(in Greek). Athens: G. Tsiberiotes. ISBN 960-7795-01-6.
4. ^ ": XXII " (http://www.army.gr/default.php?
pname=PERIGRAFI_EMBLIMATOS_XX!!TUT&la=1) (in Greek). Hellenic Army General Staff.
5. ^ HCCKalutara.net (http://www.hcckalutara.net/)
6. ^ JPSB.us (http://jpsb.us/Quitman.htm)
7. ^ ITmerida.mx (http://www.itmerida.mx)
8. ^ HCCAAB.org (http://www.hccaab.org/index.htm)
9. ^ Holycrossschool.mb.ca (http://www.holycrossschool.mb.ca/)
10. ^ GIPA.ge (http://www.gipa.ge)
11. ^ [1] (http://web.wahyan.edu.hk/)
12. ^ [2] (http://www.wyk.edu.hk/)
13. ^ "College Seal" (http://offices.holycross.edu/about/history/seal). College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved 25 March
2014.
14. ^ Dragons.be (http://www.dragons.be)
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Sources
(Greek) Eusebius. "1.28" (https://archive.org/stream/eusebiiscriptah00eusegoog#page/n708/mode/1up).
[Vita Constantini]. At the Internet Archive.
(Greek) Eusebius. 1.28
(http://www.earlychurchtexts.com/main/eusebiusofcaes/constantine_and_the_sign_of_the_cross.shtml).
"Eusebius - Constantine and the sign of the cross". www.earlychurchtexts.com. Passages 1.26-31 of
Vita Constantini.
(Latin) Eusebius. 1.28 (http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/02m/0265-
0339,_Eusebius_Caesariensis,_De_vita_Imperatoris_Constantini,_MLT.pdf). "Vita Constantini".
www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu. Book 1. p. 7 (2122 on scanned book).
(English) Eusebius. 1,28 (http://www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu/03d/0265-
0339,_Eusebius_Caesariensis,_Vita_Constantini_%5BSchaff%5D,_EN.pdf). "Vita Constantini".
www.documentacatholicaomnia.eu. p. 944.
(Latin) Lactantius. "Lucii Caecilii liber ad Donatum Confessorem de Mortibus Persecutorum"
(http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/lactantius/demort.shtml). www.thelatinlibrary.com.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_hoc_signo_vinces&oldid=609240879"
Categories: Latin stubs Latin religious phrases Sigma Chi Latin mottos Christian terms
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15. ^ "Story of Coat of Arms" (http://www.kr-plzensky.cz/article.asp?sec=245). 24 November 2010. Retrieved 4
January 2012.
16. ^ Municipiodebayamon.com (http://www.municipiodebayamon.com/files/docs/%7B3AA0D16E-E001-4F3B-85C0-
BF960E687F8C%7D.pdf)