The Cross Carried into Battle

The emperor, amazed at the prophecies about Christ that the priests had explained to him, sent for some skilled craftsmen. He ordered them to remake the standard the Romans call the Labarum into the shape of the cross, and to adorn it with gold and precious stones. This war standard was prized above all others, for it was always carried in front of the emperor and was worshiped by the soldiers. I think Constantine changed the most honored symbol of Roman power into the sign of Christ chiefly so that the soldiers, by the habit of always having it in view and worshiping it, might be led to give up their old superstitions and to recognize the true God, whom the emperor worshiped, as their leader and their help in battle. This symbol was always carried in front of his own troops. At the emperor’s command it was also carried among the battle lines, in the thick of the fighting, by a distinguished band of spearmen, each of whom took the standard on his shoulders in turn and bore it through the ranks. [a]

It is said that once, when the enemy made an unexpected move, the man holding the standard took fright, put it into another man’s hands, and slipped away from the battle. When he was out of range of the enemy’s weapons, he was suddenly wounded and fell. But the man who had stood by the divine symbol came through unhurt, though many weapons were aimed at him. For the enemy’s missiles, wonderfully guided by God’s power, struck the standard, and its bearer was kept safe in the midst of danger. It is also said that no soldier who carried this standard in battle ever fell by any of the dark misfortunes that commonly befall soldiers in war, or was wounded, or was taken prisoner.