The Eastern Orthodox Cross
A cross, lop-sided in design, straight in meaning
The Eastern Orthodox Cross
also known as the Russian, Ukraine, Slavic, Slavonic and Byzantine Cross
Eastern Orthodox Cross
St. Nicholas Cross, formed by an Eastern Orthodox Cross superimposed on a Budded Cross
The Eastern Orthodox Cross is a Latin Cross with two additional cross beams. This cross is distinctively different from other Christian crosses. The deep symbolism and the tradition of icons was preserved from Byzantium through the Christian Empire it created in Russia. (See also the heraldic Bezant Cross). Byzantium was the captial of the Christian Byzantine Empire, later renamed Constantinople and currently Istanbul. The culture of the area is a rich mixture of different traditions of iconography.
The top beam, also seen on the Patriarchal cross, represents the plaque bearing Pontius Pilate's inscription "Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews" (see INRI). The Latin for such a plaque is titulus which gives the name for this form: Titulus Cross. The upper beam rarely has any inscription; it is just symbolic of a titulus. Instead, the cross is often embellished with the acronym IC XC NIKA. (See also ICXC Cross)
The lower beam slants. When first encountering this cross, one can be forgiven for thinking the the Eastern Orthodox Cross is a Three-Dimensional Cross; its similarity with a key being a convenient reminder that the cross is the key to forgiveness. (Three dimensions also reminds us of the Holy Trinity.)
The lower beam represents a footrest (suppedaneum) and began appearing in Christian art in the 6th century. The purpose was to support the weight of the body. (Sometimes the victim would sit on a thin horn-like seat for the same reason.) Without such a device, the nails could tear through the flesh or the ropes could rip off the limbs. In effect, the seat or suppedaneum would prolong the agony of the victim. We do not know whether such a device existed on Jesus' cross.
A popular interpretation is that the slanted suppedaneum symbolizes a balance-scale showing the good thief, St. Dismas, having accepted Christ would ascend to heaven, while the thief who mocked Jesus would descend to hell. With this, the Cross is a balance-scale of justice. A similar lower beam is also found on another form of Patriarchal Cross where there is only one upper beam.
The slant is invariably shown high on the left and low on the right and when interpreted as the Slavic Cross, the lower beam is understood to be one arm of a superimposed St. Andrew's Cross. The Apostle St. Andrew was the first Christian missionary to Russia. The story goes that when Andrew preached in southern Russia, he used a large three-bar cross as a visual teaching aid. All three bars were parallel, and when relating the Passion he tilted the lower footrest to signify that those on the right side of Christ will rise up into heaven and those on the left will slide down into hell. (See also Right-hand side of God.)
