The '''Labarum''' (Greek: λάβαρον / láboron) was a Christian imperial standard employing the sacred '''"[[w:Chi Rho|Chi-Rho]]"''' [[w:Christogram|Christogram]], which was one of the earliest forms of christogram used by Christians. It was adopted by Roman emperor Saint [[Constantine the Great]] after receiving his celestial vision and dream, on the eve of his victory at the [[w:Battle of the Milvian Bridge|Milvian Bridge]] in 313 AD.

It was designed by the Roman emperor Saint The Labarum of [[Constantine the Great]] after receiving his celestial vision and dream, on the eve of his victory at the was a [[w:Battle of the Milvian BridgeVexillum|Milvian Bridgevexillum]] in 313 AD. It was a <ref group="note">The [[w:Vexillum|vexillum]] (plural vexilla) was a military standard/(flag/, banner) used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire. In the vexillum the cloth was draped from a horizontal crossbar suspended from the staff; this is unlike most modern flags in which the 'hoist' of the cloth is attached directly to the vertical staff. The bearer of a vexillum was known as a ''vexillarius''. The vexillum was a treasured symbol of the military unit that it represented and it was closely defended in combat.</ref> that displayed the "[[w:Chi Rho|Chi-Rho]]" [[w:Christogram|Christogram]], which was formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "[[Jesus Christ|Christ]]" (Greek: '''ΧΡ'''ΙΣΤΟΣ, or '''Χρ'''ιστός) — [[w:Chi (letter)|Chi]] (χ) and [[w:Rho (letter)|Rho]] (ρ). Fashioned after legionary standards, being one it substituted the from of a [[cross]] for the old pagan symbols, surmounted by a jewelled wreath containing the earliest forms monogram of christogram used by ChristiansChrist, intersecting '''Chi''' (χ) and '''Rho''' (ρ), on which hung a purple banner with gold trim inscribed with ''' ''"Εν Τουτω Νικα"'' (''in hoc signo vinces'') — "In this sign, conquer." '''

From 324 it was the official standard of the Roman Empire. Fashioned after legionary standards, it substituted the from of a [[cross]] for the old pagan symbols, surmounted by a jewelled wreath containing the monogram of Christ, intersecting '''Chi''' (χ) and '''Rho''' (ρ), on which hung a purple banner inscribed with ''' ''"Εν Τουτω Νικα"'' (''in hoc signo vinces'') — "In this sign, conquer." ''' As a new focal point for Roman unity, the monogram appeared on coins, shields, and later public buildings and churches.<ref>-----. ''"Labarum."'' In: J.D. Douglas and Earle E. Cairns (Eds.). '''The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church'''. 2nd ed.. Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. p.575.</ref>From 324 the Labarum with the "Chi-Rho" Christogram was the official standard of the Roman Empire.

==EtymologyOrigins==The etymology ''Labarum'' was originally a Roman military ensign,<ref group="note">That the ''Labarum'' dated its designation as the imperial standard from an early period of the empire, is a supposition confirmed by a colonial medal of [[w:Tiberius|Tiberius]] (dedicated to that Prince by ''Caesarea-Augusta'' (Saragozza)), on which may be remarked the form of that ensign. The Labarum is found in the left hand of emperors; on some military figures; and on coins of Nero, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Septimius Severus, and other princes anterior to Constantine. A vexillum or cavalry standard, resembling the Labarum, appears on several colonial coins, such as those from Acci, Antiochia Pisidiae, and Caesarea-Augusta. (''[http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=labarum Labarum].'' '''Numiswiki: The Collaborative Numismatics Project.)'''</ref> which is described to have been a more distinguished form of the [[w:Late LatinVexillum|Late LatinVexillum]] , or cavalry standard. Like the other standards, it was an object of religious veneration amongst the soldiers, who paid it divine honours. It was only hoisted when the Emperor was with the army. ===Etymology===The etymology of the word ''labarum'' is uncertain, however it has been suggested that the word descended from the Greek ''láboron'' (''λάβαρον'' - ''laurel-leaf standard''),<ref group="note">The similar Greek term '''"Lavra"''' has a different etymology. In Orthodox Christianity and certain other Eastern Christian communities ''Lavra'' or ''Laura'' (Greek: Λαύρα; Cyrillic: Ла́вра) originally meant a cluster of cells or caves for hermits, with a church and sometimes a refectory at the center (for example, [[w:Agia Lavra|Agia Lavra]] monastery in Greece). The term originates from Ancient Greek, where it means "a passage" or "an alley".</ref> which in turn renders the Latin ''Laureum Vexillum'', literally "laureled standard".<ref>H. Grégoire, '' "L'étymologie de 'Labarum'" '' '''Byzantion''' 4 (1929:477-82).</ref><ref>Kahane, Drs. Henry & Renée. ''"Contributions by Byzantinologists to Romance Etymology."'' '''RLiR''', XXVI (1962), 126-39.</ref><ref>[[w:Alexander Kazhdan|Kazhdan, Alexander]], ed.. ''Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.'' Oxford University Press, 1991. p.1167.</ref>

In a similar but slightly different conclusion, the ''American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (4th ed.) states that ''labarum'' is [[w:Late Latin|Late Latin]], probably being an alteration of the Greek ''labraton'' ("laurel-leaf standard"), which is itself derived from the Latin ''Laureatum'' (the neuter of ''Laureatus'' - "crowned/adorned with laurel").<ref>''"[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/labarums Labarum]".'' '''The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,''' Fourth Edition, copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.</ref>

Later usage has sometimes regarded the terms "labarum" and "Chi-Rho" as synonyms (i.e. the labarum bearing the chi-rho symbol). Ancient sources however draw an unambiguous distinction between the two. For one thing this is because , as the "Chi-Rho" [[w:Christogram|Christogram]] and the "Labarum" were not originally synonyms; originally, the labarum being a type of [[w:Vexillum|vexillum]], was a military standard used in the Classical Era of the Roman Empire, with a flag hanging from a horizontal crossbar; the Chi-Rho Christogram was only added to the flag by the Emperor [[Constantine the Great|Constantine I]] in the late Roman period.

* ''[[w:Labarum|Labarum]].'' ''' at Wikipedia. '''* ''[http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=labarum Labarum].'' '''Numiswiki: The Collaborative Numismatics Project.'''