Online Encyclopedia

Search over 40,000 articles from the original, classic Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition.

LABARUM

Online Encyclopedia
Originally appearing in Volume V16, Page 2 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
» Make a correction to this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Spread the word: del.icio.us del.icio.us it!

LABARUM , the sacred military See also:

standard of the See also:early See also:Christian See also:Roman emperors, first adopted by See also:Constantine the See also:Great after his miraculous See also:vision in 312, although, according to See also:Gibbon, he did not exhibit it to the See also:army till 323. The name seems to have been known before, and the banner was simply a Christianized See also:form of the Roman See also:cavalry standard. See also:Eusebius (See also:Life of Const. i. 31) describes the first labarum as consisting of a See also:long gilded See also:spear, crossed at the See also:top by a See also:bar from which hung a square See also:purple See also:cloth, richly jewelled. At the upper extremity of the spear was a See also:golden See also:wreath encircling the sacred See also:monogram, formed of the first two letters of the name of See also:Christ. In later See also:banners the monogram was sometimes embroidered on the cloth. A See also:special guard of fifty soldiers was appointed to protect the sacred standard. The derivation of the word labarum is disputed; it appears to be connected with the Basque labarva, signifying standard. See See also:FLAG.

End of Article: LABARUM

Additional information and Comments

There are no comments yet for this article.
» Add information or comments to this article.
Please link directly to this article:
Highlight the code below, right click, and select "copy." Then paste it into your website, email, or other HTML.
Site content, images, and layout Copyright © 2006 - Net Industries, worldwide.
Do not copy, download, transfer, or otherwise replicate the site content in whole or in part.

Links to articles and home page are always encouraged.

[back]
LAAS, ERNST (1837-1885) 		[next]
LABE, LOUISE CHARLIN PERRIN (c. 1525-1566)

Site © 2006 - Net Industries