The staurogram ( ⳨), also monogrammatic cross or tau-rho,[The term staurogram in this sense is of relatively late coinage (1960s); "monogrammatic cross" is in use in the later 19th century.] is a ligature composed of a superposition of the Greek alphabet tau ( Τ) and rho ( Ρ).
Early occurrence and significance
The symbol is of pre-Christian origin. It is found on copper coins minted by Herod I in 37 BC, interpreted as a
tr ligature representing
trikhalkon indicating the coin value.
[F. W. Madden, History of Jewish Coinage (1864), 83–85.]
Abbreviation for stauros
The staurogram was first used to abbreviate
stauros (σταυρός]]), the Greek word for
Christian cross, in very early New Testament manuscripts such as , and , almost like a
nomina sacra, and may visually have represented
Crucifix.
Monogram of Christ
The Tau-Rho as a
Christian symbol outside its function as
nomen sacrum in biblical manuscripts appears from used as a
Christogram alongside the
Chi-Rho and other variants, spreading to Western Europe in the 5th and 6th centuries.
In combination with alpha and omega
Ephrem the Syrian (4th century) discusses a Christian symbol, apparently combining the Tau-Rho with Alpha and Omega placed under the left and right horizontal arms of the Tau.
Ephrem says that the Tau represents the cross of Jesus (prefigured by the outstretched hands of
Moses in ), the Alpha and Omega signify that the crucified Christ is "the beginning and end", and the Rho, finally, signifies "Help" (βοήθια ; classical spelling: βοήθεια]]), because of the
Numerology value of the Greek word being 100, represented by Rho as a
Greek numeral.
[Hurtado (2006), citing F. J. Dölger, Sol Salutis (1920), p. 61 (note 2).
Ephraem in sanctam Parasceven, Ephraem Syri opera omnia quae extant graece — syriace — latine Tom. III Romae 1746, p. 477. ]
Tau and rho separately
The two letters tau and rho can be found separately (not in ligature) as symbols already on early Christian
ossuaries.
(
Contra Marcionem 3.22) explains the Tau as a symbol of salvation by identification with the sign which in was marked on the forehead of the saved ones.
The rho by itself can refer to Christ as
Messiah because
Abraham, taken as a symbol of the Messiah, generated
Isaac according to a promise made by God when he was one hundred years old, and 100 is the value of rho.
[Bagatti, Bellarmino, "The Church from the Circumcision: History and Archaeology of the Judaeo-Christians", Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, Collectio Minor n. 2, Jerusalem (1984). ]
Coptic Unicode block
The staurogram is encoded by
Unicode in the Coptic block, at , and as of Unicode 7.0 (2014) also in the
Ancient Symbols block, at . The Coptic block has a ligature of the full word σταυρός, where the τρ is represented by the staurogram, and two
are attached to either side of the tau's horizontal bar, at .
See also
External links
