Labarum Standard – the making

Good day, Worthy Knights

In this part 2, you will find, in Eusebius of Caesarea own words, a description of the making of the Labarum Standard.

As indicated in the previous  Part 1, Eusebius of Caesarea is more concerned to please the Emperor and to build a pious figure which most probably he was not, than to stick to the reality.

CHAPTER XXX: The Making of the Standard of the Cross.

At dawn of day he arose, and communicated the marvel to his friends: and then, calling together the workers in gold and precious stones, he sat in the midst of them, and described to them the figure of the sign he had seen, bidding them represent it in gold and precious stones.

And this representation I myself have had an opportunity of seeing.

CHAPTER XXXI: A Description of the Standard of the Cross, which the Romans now call the Labarum.

Now it was made in the following manner.

A long spear, overlaid with gold, formed the figure of the cross by means of a transverse bar laid over it.

On the top of the whole was fixed a wreath of gold and precious stones; and within this, the symbol of the Saviour’s name, two letters indicating the name of Christ by means of its initial characters, the letter P being intersected by X in its centre:

and these letters the emperor was in the habit of wearing on his helmet at a later period.

From the cross-bar of the spear was suspended a cloth, a royal piece, covered with a profuse embroidery of most brilliant precious stones; and which, being also richly interlaced with gold, presented an indescribable degree of beauty to the beholder.

This banner was of a square form, and the upright staff, whose lower section was of great length, bore a golden half-length portrait of the pious emperor and his children on its upper part, beneath the trophy of the cross, and immediately above the embroidered banner.

The emperor constantly made use of this sign of salvation as a safeguard against every adverse and hostile power, and commanded that others similar to it should be carried at the head of all his armies.