[B-Greek] IHS abbreviation

Carl W. Conrad cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
Mon Dec 15 15:31:09 EST 2003


At 2:06 PM -0600 12/15/03, Jason Hare wrote:
>I thought this was interesting...
>http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/mailing_lists/CLA-L/2001/03/0430.php
>
>Sorry to send yet another message through the list, but I think this
>conversation is neat. Maybe a bit off-topic, but not fiery. ;-)

Yes; in fact, there's not been a single message yet today that is really
ON-topic.

>Perhaps both significances should be pulled from the letters.

Here's the way I learned it:

IHC with "C" sigma is the upper-case nomen sacrum for "Jesus" (IHCOUC =
IHSOUS); IHC becomes Ihs in cursive minuscules or IHS upper-case, which is
then understood as an anagram for Constantine's IN HOC SIGNO VINCES ("By
this sign you will conquer"); secondarily IHC is understood as anagram for
IN HAC CRUCE, "on this cross." A versatile combination, but not so neat, it
seems to me, as ICQUS, "fish," which is anagram of IHSOUS CRISTOS QEOU
hUIOS SWTHR, a confessional formula and perhaps closely-linked to the
symbol:

	 ____
	/    \/
	\____/\
-- 

Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics, Washington University (Emeritus)
1989 Grindstaff Road/Burnsville, NC 28714/(828) 675-4243
cwconrad at artsci.wustl.edu
WWW: http://www.ioa.com/~cwconrad/



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