Chi-Rho
A monogram of the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek, used by Christians as a symbol of Christ.
Meaning
Chi (Χ) and rho (Ρ) are the first two letters of Christos, the Greek for 'anointed one'. Written one over the other they form a monogram that stands for Christ himself. It appears on vestments, in churches and on tombs.
Origin and history
The monogram is older than its Christian meaning. The combined letters appear on pre-Christian coins, among them some coins of the Ptolemies of Egypt, and Greek scribes used the same pair to abbreviate words that begin with them.
Its Christian history begins with Constantine. Before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, the writer Lactantius says, he had the sign marked on his soldiers' shields; Eusebius later described it at the head of the labarum, the imperial standard. Historians still debate what Constantine saw and when.
Within decades it was carved on sarcophagi and tombs, sometimes between the letters alpha and omega.
How the form changed
a Two letters (Greek alphabet). Chi (Χ) and rho (Ρ), written separately.
b A scribe's abbreviation (From the 3rd century BCE). Χ laid across the stem of Ρ to shorten Greek words.
c Constantine's emblem (312 CE). On shields and at the head of the imperial standard.
d In a victory wreath (Mid 4th century CE). Carved on sarcophagi inside a laurel wreath, between alpha and omega.
Read next
- Next in Christian symbolsSkull and crossbonesIn Christian art, a reminder of death, and at the foot of the cross, a sign of Adam's remains.
- In Historical flagsLabarumThe labarum was the military standard of Constantine the Great, made after the vision he reported before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312: a gilded spear with a crossbar, a square jewelled banner hanging from it, and the Chi-Rho inside a gold wreath at the top.
See also
IHS, Ichthys, INRI, Latin cross, Orthodox cross, Sacred Heart.
Sources
- Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors, Chapter 44
- Eusebius, Life of Constantine, Book I, chapter 31
- Monogram of Christ, The Catholic Encyclopedia (1907–1912), via New Advent, Monogram of Christ
- Christ (n.), Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary
- Battle of Milvian Bridge (Encyclopaedia Britannica), Encyclopaedia Britannica (Wayback Machine copy, 9 April 2026), Introduction; Conversion and battle
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols formed from crosses or letters and numbers.
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 3, 2026. How we research
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