language; which was, well, "Greek" to the Gaulish soldiers) was the
so-called Monogram of Christ {image "monogram1.gif"} or {image
"monogram3.gif"} or {image "monogram2.gif"} or {image "monogram4.gif"}.
That, too, was what Eusebius tells us the Christ afterwards told the
Gaulish leader Constantine to model his military standard after. That,
therefore, was the "salutary symbol" and "trophy of victory" referred
to in the above passage from the same authority.

It is therefore clear that this "lofty spear in the figure of a cross"
which Eusebius tells us was placed under the hand of the statue of
Constantine in the central place of honour in Rome, was referred to by
Eusebius as a "cross" because it was shaped like or in some way
connected with some form or other of the so-called Monogram of Christ.
And such a conclusion is borne out by the fact that spears with
cross-bars had been in use among both Gauls and Romans for centuries,
whereas this one is referred to as something out of the common.

It should also be noted that it was as a victorious military standard,
and not as either a monogram of the Christ or a representation of the
_stauros_ upon which Jesus was executed, that Constantine caused this
{image "solarwheel1.gif"} or {image "asterisk.gif"}, or {image
"monogram1.gif"} or {image "monogram3.gif"}, or {image "monogram2.gif"}
or {image "monogram4.gif"} (all which variations occur upon the coins
of Constantine and his successors), to become a symbol of the Roman
Empire.

Further on in his history of the Emperor, Eusebius tells us that
whenever Constantine saw his troops hard pressed, he gave orders that
the "salutary trophy" should be moved in that direction, and that
victory always resulted.