Mosaic picture of Christ, Chi-rho symbol

Chi-rho simbol on a mosaic picture of Christ.

This is the central roundel of a 4th-century A.D. mosaic floor from a villa at Hinton St. Mary, Dorset. It is one of the most important early Christian remains from the Roman Empire.

The roundel is probably the earliest known mosaic picture of Christ. It is the focal point of the main floor in the position usually occupied by a figure of a pagan god or goddess. However, the Greek letters X and P (chi and rho) behind the head indicate that the person is probably. Christ. They are the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek and the usual symbol of early Christianity. At either side are pomegranates, signaling immortality.

In the corners of the main mosaic are four heads. This position, often given to personifications of the four seasons or winds, is occupied here by what are possibly Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, The four Gospel writers. The mosaic formed the floor of two interlinked rooms of the villa. In the smaller room, the mosaic's central scene is of the pagan hero Bellerophon overpowering the triple-headed Chimaera - perhaps a Christian symbol of Good overcoming Evil.

Discovered and excavated between 1963 and 1964, the full mosaic measure 8.1 x 5.2 meters.

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