Globus cruciger

Reverse of a coin of Anastasius I Dicorus (491–518), depicting Victory carrying a wreath and a globus cruciger. The inscription reads VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM ("Victory of the Emperors").

The globus cruciger (Latin for "cross-bearing globe"), also known as the Orb and Cross, is an orb surmounted by a cross, traditionally held in the hand as a sign of divinely appointed dominion over the world.

The globe as an emblem of sovereignty originated in the ancient world, where rulers and deities were depicted holding it to represent their authority over the earth and the ordered cosmos. The cross-bearing form combines this older symbolism with the authority represented by the upright cross or Tau.

The symbolism brings together the circle and the line: the sphere represents the world, while the upright emblem extends above it, joining earthly dominion to heavenly authority. The globus cruciger became an established symbol of imperial power in the late Roman and Byzantine periods and subsequently appeared in European royal regalia. Its origins and religious significance have also been examined by Alexander Hislop in his book The Two Babylons.

Ancient Symbolism

The globe held by a ruler or deity was a symbol of dominion long before the development of the medieval Christian orb. In Roman Republican and imperial imagery, the sphere represented the world over which the ruler exercised authority. The goddess Roma and other personifications of power appeared with globes, while later imperial representations frequently depicted Victory crowning a ruler or holding a globe.

The combination of a globe with an upright emblem further expressed the relationship between the world and the authority governing it. The circle or sphere represented the terrestrial world or cosmos, while the line or cross above it signified a power extending beyond the earthly realm. Such imagery conveyed sovereignty through the act of holding the world in one's hand.

The cross-bearing globe appeared on Byzantine coinage during the reign of Theodosius II (408–450). The older symbol of dominion was thereby incorporated into the religious and political imagery of a Christian empire.

Alexander Hislop's Interpretation

In The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop examined the relationship between the globus cruciger and earlier pagan religious imagery. Hislop argued that the symbol was not simply a Christian invention but represented the continuation of an older form of religious symbolism associated with ancient Babylonian worship.

In Chapter II, Section II, Sub-section V, "The Deification of the Child," Hislop discussed what he called the *Baitulos*, or swaddled stone, described as a round or globular object wrapped in bands. He cited William Bryant's representation of the goddess Cybele as Spes Divina ("Divine Hope"), in which a globular object appears bound by several swathes. He also referred to illustrations in Antiquités Étrusques, in which a similar object appears with crossed bands.

Hislop compared these representations with a globe encircled by a band and surmounted by the mystic Tau, or cross. He described the latter as "the type of dominion" and argued that the similarity between the images was evidence of continuity between ancient pagan religious symbolism and later ecclesiastical imagery. He associated the bandaged globe and the Tau with the worship of Tammuz, whom he identified as the deity represented by the swaddled stone.

Hislop developed this argument further in Chapter V, Section VI, "The Sign of the Cross." He discussed the association of the mystic Tau with the solar circle, describing representations in which the Tau was joined to the circle of the sun or placed within it. He also stated that the Tau was known as the "sign of life," was used as an amulet and was borne by kings as a token of dignity or divinely conferred authority.

Hislop's interpretation therefore connected three elements: the globular object, the encircling band and the upright Tau. In his account, these were not unrelated decorative forms but components of an inherited symbolic language expressing dominion, religious authority and the relationship between the heavens and the earth. His argument placed the later globus cruciger within a much older history of religious and imperial imagery.

Imperial Coinage

The globus cruciger became a prominent feature of late Roman and Byzantine coinage. It was carried by emperors, angels and personifications of Victory, combining established imperial imagery with the religious symbolism of the cross.

A coin of Anastasius I Dicorus (491–518) illustrates the development. Its reverse depicts Victory carrying a wreath and a cross-bearing globe, accompanied by the inscription VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM ("Victory of the Emperors"). The design retained Victory and the globe as signs of imperial success and dominion while incorporating the cross into the emblem.

The globus cruciger continued to appear on Byzantine coins and imperial representations. Its presence in the hands of rulers expressed sovereignty, while its religious significance reflected the relationship between imperial authority and the Christian order.

European Royal Regalia

During the Middle Ages, the globus cruciger became an established emblem of Christian kingship in Europe. It appeared in portraits of monarchs, coronation ceremonies, sceptres, coins and other representations of sovereignty. The orb formed part of the regalia of European monarchies, including the Holy Roman emperors and the English and British monarchs.

The Sovereign's Orb used in British coronations, for example, consists of a globe surmounted by a cross and symbolises the sovereign's authority within the Christian world.

The medieval and modern uses of the globus cruciger represent a particular Christian and royal development of the older imagery of dominion. Its history encompasses the ancient symbolism of the globe, the incorporation of the cross into imperial representation and the subsequent use of the combined emblem as a sign of sovereignty.

See also

• Alexander Hislop
• The Two Babylons
• Tammuz
• Roman Empire
• Byzantine Empire
• Anastasius I Dicorus
• Christian symbolism
• Royal regalia