Note 422 — Chapter VI · SORCERY AND OCCULT ARTS.

Pauli Diac. Hist. Miscell. X., XI.—Euseb. Vit. Constant. II. 4-7, 11-12.—S. Nili Capita parænetica No. 61.—S. August. de Civ. Dei XXII. 8. Cf. Evodii de Mirac. S. Stephani.

The Labarum of Constantine was the Greek cross with four equal arms, a symbol frequently seen on Chaldean and Assyrian cylinders. Oppert attaches to it the root לבר, thus explaining the word Labarum, the derivation of which has never been understood (Oppert et Menant, Documents juridiques de l’Assyrie, Paris, 1877, p. 200). The fetichism connected with the cross probably took its rise from the Labarum. Maxentius, we are told, was an ardent adept in magic, and relied upon it for success against Constantine, who was much alarmed until reassured by the vision of the cross and its starry inscription, “In hoc vince” (Euseb. H. E. IX. 9; Vit. Const, I. 28-31, 36.—Pauli Diac. Hist. Miscell. Lib. XI.—Zonaræ Annal. T. III.). The melting of pagan superstitions into Christian is illustrated by the incident that when Constantine routed Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge he was preceded in battle by an armed cavalier bearing a cross, and at Adrianople two youths were seen who slaughtered the troops of Licinius (Zonaræ Annal. T. III.). The Christian annalists had no difficulty in identifying with angels of God those whom Pagan writers would designate as Castores.