In hoc signo vinces

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Detail from The Vision of the Cross by assistants of Raphael, depicting the vision of the cross and the Greek writing "Ἐν τούτῳ νίκα" in the sky, before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Detail from The Vision of the Cross by assistants of Raphael, depicting the vision of the cross and the Greek writing "Ἐν τούτῳ νίκα" in the sky, before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Sample of use of "In hoc signo vinces" in an old Portuguese coin (year 1721)
Sample of use of "In hoc signo vinces" in an old Portuguese coin (year 1721)

In hoc signo vinces is the rendition in Latin of the Greek phrase "Ἐν τούτῳ νίκα", en toutōi nika, meaning "in this [sign] you will conquer".

According to legend, Constantine I adopted this Greek phrase, "εν τούτωι νίκα", as a motto after his vision of a chi rho on the sky just before the Battle of Milvian Bridge against Maxentius in the year 312. The early Christian symbol consists in a cross formed by the Greek letters chi (X) and rho (P), the first two in the name Christ (Greek: Χριστός). The historian Eusebius states that Constantine was marching with his army (Eusebius doesn't specify the actual location of the event, but it's 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 "εν τούτωι νίκα" ("by this, be victorious!", often rendered in Latin as In hoc signo vinces). At first, Constantine didn't know the meaning of the apparition, but in the following night, he had a dream in which Christ explained to him that he should use the sign 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 is the motto 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, and is the motto of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. The phrase also 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.

It was also used as a motto by the Portuguese monarchy. According to the legend, King Afonso Henriques 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 Lusiadas" by Luiz Vaz de Camoes.

This phrase was also in use by and of some significance to the Knights Templar, and also plays a role in many modern fraternal orders and secret societies including the Free Masons, the Sigma Nu Fraternity and the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Contents

[edit] Cultural references

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[edit] Fraternal organizations

[edit] Schools

[edit] Military

Insignia of Marine All-Weather Fighter-Attack Squadron 533
Insignia of Marine All-Weather Fighter-Attack Squadron 533

[edit] Sports

  • Crest of the Royal Hockey Club Dragons, Antwerp, Belgium
  • Motto of Birkirkara, Malta.
  • Motto of the Norwegian soccer-team Storkanonan.
  • Motto of the Ipswich Brothers Rugby League club, Qld Australia
  • Motto of Worthing Chippingdale Cricket Club, England
  • Motto of Pirita Jalgpalliklubi Reliikvia soccer team, Estonia

[edit] Pop culture

  • The band Deadsy adopted this saying as their band manifesto.
  • Appears on the crest of Pall Mall cigarettes.
  • Appears in Postal², accompanying a dollar symbol, on a statue, in front of the "Fee of America" building.
  • Appears in the TV series Carnivàle, as the inscription on the Masonic temple
  • Mentioned by hiphop artist Ras Kass in the song "Nature of the Threat"
  • Motto appears in painting from 1974 by Polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski.
  • In the comic Piranha Club, the eponymous Piranha Club has the motto "In hoc signo piranha".
  • Appears in Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow as graffiti written by one of Cpt. Blicero's crew, p. 102

[edit] Other

  • George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party, wrote a political manifesto called In hoc signo vinces in 1960.
  • Appears on the crest of the O'Donnell clan.
  • Appears in the swedish movie, Arn The Knight Templar (original titel: Tempelridderen Arn)
  • Also appears in the books written by Jan Guillou, about the swedish knight tempelar Arn Magnusson.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Chadwick, Owen. 1981. The Popes and European Revolution. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198269196. p. 474.

[edit] References