in hoc signo vinces

Detail from The Vision of the Cross by assistants of Raphael, depicting the vision of the cross and the Greek writing "εν τούτω νίκα" in the sky, before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.

Sample of use of "In hoc signo vinces" in an old Portuguese coin (year 1721)

In hoc signo vinces is the Latin transparent translation of the Greek phrase "εν τούτω νίκα", meaning "in this sign you will conquer".

According to legend, Constantine I adopted this Greek phrase, "εν τούτω νίκα", as a motto after his vision of a chi rho on the sky just before the Battle of Milvian Bridge against Maxentius in the year 312. The early Christian symbol consists in a cross formed by the Greek letters chi (χ) and rho (ρ), the first two in the name Christ (Greek: Χριστός). The historian Eusebius states that Constantine was marching with his army (Eusebius doesn't specify the actual location of the event, but it's clearly not in the camp at Rome), when he looked up to the sun and saw a cross of light above it, and with it the Greek words "Εν Τούτω Νίκα" ("in this, be victorious!", often rendered in Latin as In hoc signo vinces). At first, Constantine didn't know the meaning of the apparition, but in the following night, he had a dream in which Christ explained to him that he should use the sign against his enemies. Eusebius then continues to describe the Labarum, the military standard used by Constantine in his later wars against Licinius, showing the Chi-Rho sign.

The phrase is the motto on the coat of arms borne by Jan III Sobieski and other members of the Sobieski line; it is also on the coat of arms of the Irish noble dynasty of O'Donnell of Tyrconnell, and is the motto of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George. The phrase also appears prominently placed as a motto on a ribbon unfurled with a passion cross to its left, beneath a window over the Scala Regia, adjacent to the equestrian statue of Emperor Constantine, in the Vatican. Emperors and other monarchs, having paid respects to the Pope, descended the Scala Regia, and would observe the light shining down through the window, with the motto, reminiscent of Constantine's vision, and be reminded to follow the Cross. They would thence turn right into the atrium of St. Peter's Basilica, ostensibly so inspired.

It was also used as a motto by the Portuguese monarchy. According to the legend, King Afonso Henriques saw the sign of the "quinas" -Portugal's heraldic symbol- at the battle of Campo de Ourique, adopting them as the national symbol and the motto as a consequence. This legend is told in "The Lusiadas" by Luiz Vaz de Camoes.

This phrase was also in use by and of some significance to the Knights Templar, and also plays a role in many modern fraternal orders and secret societies including the Free Masons and the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Cultural references

Fraternal organizations

• Public motto of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.
• Motto of the Royal Black Institution.
• Appears on the Knight Templar Cross in the York Rite branch of Freemasonry.
• Motto of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, The "Grey Nuns of Montreal".

Schools

• Motto of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., USA.
• Motto of the Wah Yan College, Hong Kong and Wah Yan College, Kowloon, two Jesuit-run secondary schools in Hong Kong.
• Appears on the crest of Madras Christian College of Chennai, India.
• Motto of Iona College in Brisbane, Australia.
• Appears on the crest of St. Eunan's College of Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland
• Motto of Waverley Christian College, Victoria, Australia
• Motto of Marist Brothers High School (Fiji)
• Motto of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Secondary School, London, England
• Motto of Pope John Paul II High School, Hendersonville, Tennessee

Military

• Motto of the Royal Army Chaplains Department
• Appears on the patches of Marine All-Weather Fighter-Attack Squadron 533.
• Seen on the coat of arms of the second mechanized infantry battalion, Norwegian Army.
• Motto of 814th Squadron of the British Fleet Air Arm.
• Motto of 7th Scout Ranger Company, Philippine Army

Sports

• Crest of the Royal Hockey Club Dragons, Antwerp, Belgium
• Motto of Birkirkara, Malta.
• Motto of the Norwegian soccer-team Storkanonan.

Pop culture

• The band Deadsy adopted this saying as their band manifesto.
• Appears on the crest of Pall Mall cigarettes.
• Appears in Postal², accompanying a dollar symbol, on a statue, in front of the "Fee of America" building.
• Appears in the TV series Carnivàle, as the inscription on the Masonic temple
• Mentioned by hiphop artist Ras Kass in the song "Nature of the Threat"
• Motto appears in painting from 1974 by Polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski.
• In the comic Piranha Club, the eponymous Piranha Club has the motto "In hoc signo piranha".

Other

• George Lincoln Rockwell, the founder of the American Nazi Party, wrote a political manifesto called In hoc signo vinces in 1960.
• Appears on the crest of the O'Donnell clan.
• Official motto of the Scarlet Brigade Band of Fairfield High School of Fairfield California
• Appears on the coat of arms on every package of Pall Mall cigarettes.

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