. The history of Our Lord as exemplified in works of art : with that of His types ; St. John the Baptist ; and other persons of the Old and New Testament. fficult, even, to prove that the Cross of Constantinewas of the simple construction as now understood. It was in that the supposed vision of a luminous cross appeared to thisemperor in the sky, accompanied by the words, In hoc signovinces ( in this sign thou shalt conquer). But no descriptiondetermines the exact form in which this supposed vision appeared.^l Neither is it said what species of cross it waswhich Constantine erected, re
. The history of Our Lord as exemplified in works of art : with that of His types ; St. John the Baptist ; and other persons of the Old and New Testament. fficult, even, to prove that the Cross of Constantinewas of the simple construction as now understood. It was in that the supposed vision of a luminous cross appeared to thisemperor in the sky, accompanied by the words, In hoc signovinces ( in this sign thou shalt conquer). But no descriptiondetermines the exact form in which this supposed vision appeared.^l Neither is it said what species of cross it waswhich Constantine erected, resplendent withjewels, on the palace at Byzantium, or placedaloft on the sacred banner, or Labarum, whichpreceded his armies in all engagements, orwhich he inscribed on the shields of his regards the Labarum, however, the coins ofthe time in which it is especially set forth, prove 234 The Labarum. .-i , , -i n J a. • 1 (4th centmy.) that the so-called cross upon it was nothing else than the same ever-recurring monogram of Christ. We give anillustration (No. 234) from a coin of the time of Constantine. The 1 Bosio. Arringhi, & THE SIGN OF THE CROSS. 317 coins of this subject are many and various in size, yet in no singleinstance does the simple cross appear. Nor, in the matter of thesoldiers shield, has Art left us without testimony, for in theearly mosaics at Eavenna which represent the Emperor Justinianand Empress Theodora, the body-guard attending them are seenwith their shields inscribed, not with the cross, according to ouridea, but with the Granting, therefore, that the simple form of the cross existed, ifat all, too rarely at this age to have left any trace behind, we mayventure next to seek a cause for this peculiarity. And here thesame cause suggests itself, which is admitted to account for theabsence of the crucifix, or the figure of our Lord upon the Cross,for a far longer period. For early Christian Art, such as it appearsin the bas-rel
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