Zeus : a study in ancient religion - Warburg Institute

6o6 The double axe and the labarum
other countries we notice the gilded glasses from the catacombs of
Rome\ Here St Peter and St Paul appear as supporters on either
side of the monogram (figs. 506— 509), which is sometimes set on
the top of a pillar (figs. 508, 509)-. The two saints in this grouping
are suggestive of 'Dioscuric' influenced
The standard bearing the symbol -^ is called labarus by Hegemonius-*
(first half of s. iv), labarunt by Ambrose^ (388 A.D.), Pruden-
tius" (402 A.D.), and later writers''—the word being Grecised* as
Idbaron^, ldboron^°, Idboui'oti'^^ , Idboron'^'^. Its derivation has been much
' H. Vopel Die altchristliche Goldgldser Freiburg 1899, ^- ^'^- Dalton 'The gilded
glasses of the Catacombs' in The Archaeological [ournal 1901 Iviii. 227—253, id. British
Musetmi : A Guide to (he early Christian and Byzantine Antiquities s.l. 1903 pp. 59—63,
id. Byzantine Art and Archaeology Oxford 191 1 p. 613 f., Forrer Reallex. p. 295 pl. 72,
A. Kisa Das Glas im Altertume Leipzig 1908 iii. 834— 900, C. M. Kaufmann Handbuch
der christlichen Archdologie Paderborn 191 3 pp. 619— 624.
- R. Gariucci Sloria delta arte cristiana nei prinii otto secoli della chiesa Prato 1881
iii. 146 f., 151 pl. 180, I (^my fig. 507), 2 ( = my fig. 508), 3 (=my fig. 509), 9 ( = my
fig. 506).
* Textile fabrics oi s. vi— vii (?) at Crefeld (O. M. Dalton Byzantine Art and Archaeo-
logy Oxford 1911 p. 598 fig. 377) and from the shrine of St Servatius at Maestricht
(F. Fischbach Ornament of textilefabrics London 1883 p. 3 pl. 3, A, G. Migeon Les arts
du tissii Paris 1909 p. 20 fig.) represent the Dioskouroi standing side by side on the top
of a short fluted column or altar with a biicranium at its base, while from right and left
winged figures pour libations and attendants bring oxen to sacrifice.
•* Hegemonius acta Archelai 41. 9 f. p. 61, 8 ff. (ed. C. H. Beeson Leipzig 1906) non
plane, non ita obscure et ignobiliter adveniet ille qui perfectus est, id est lesus Christus
dominus noster. sed sicut rex adveniens ad urbem suam praemittit prime protectores
suos, signa, dracones, labaros, duces, principes, praefectos, et universa continuo commoventur,
aliis vero metuentibus, aliis vero gaudentibus pro expectatione regis, ita et dominus
mens lesus, qui etc. So Fulgentius of Ruspe serm. 60 de S. Laiiretttio (Ixv. 930 C Migne)
super labaros fulget terreni regis triumphus martyris confessoris ; etc. Ducange Gloss,
med. et itif. Lat. s.v. 'labarum' cites also ' Glossae MSS. : Labarus, lata lancea vel
vexillum.'
•' Ambros. epist. 40. 9 (xvi. 1105 A Migne) quid si alii timidiores, dum mortem reformi-
dant, otferant ut de suis facultatibus reparetur synagoga ; aut comes ubi hoc compererit
primo constitutum, ipse de christianorum censu exaedificari iubeat ? habebis, imperator,
comitem praevaricatorem, et huic vexilla committes victricia, huic labarum, hoc est,
Christi sacratum nomine, qui synagogam instauret, quae Christum nesciat ? iube labarum
synagogae inferri, videamus si non resistunt (Ambrose to Theodosios a propos of a certain
synagogue in the east burnt at the instigation of a bishop, who has been bidden by the
emperor to rebuild it).
^ Prudent, c. Syinni. i. 486 ff. Christus purpureum gemmanti textus in auro |
signabat
labarum, clypeorum insignia Christus | scripserat, ardebat summis crux addita cristis.
"^ De Vit Lat. Lex. s.v. ' labarum,' Ducange Gloss, med. et inf. Lat. s.v. ' labarum.'
p. 702.
* E. A. Sophocles Greek Lexicon of the Roman and Byzantine Periods Boston 1870
"^ Germanus, bishop of Constantinople and patriarch, epist. dogmat. i (xcviii. 149 A—
Migne) Tjyeiadai. irpoaTa^as {sc. 6 Geis) ev ttj irape/i|3oXf/ ttjs XpicrToO /SacriXeias to ^vdo^ov
ovTws Kai itria7)iJ.ov \dj3apov, rbv i^iooTroiov \4yw aravpbv, to pL^ya Kara rod davarov r^s
avTov pi.eya\eL6TTjT0i TpbiraioV k.t.X.
For notes 10, 11, and 12 see p. 607.