A Christogram is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a religious symbol within the Christian Church. One of the oldest and most well-known Christograms is the Chi-Rho (☧), formed by superimposing the Greek letters chi (Χ) and rho (Ρ), the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ, “Χριστός”. This symbol gained prominence during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century AD, following his reported vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, where he saw a cross of light and the words “In hoc signo vinces” (“In this sign, you will conquer”). The Chi-Rho became a powerful emblem of Christ’s authority and was used on military standards like the labarum, as well as on shields, coins, and religious art. Other common Christograms include IHS, derived from the first three letters of the Greek name for Jesus (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ), and the Eastern Christian ΙϹΧϹ, representing “Jesus Christ”.
