Roman Chi-Rho Coin

Quote:
Arianism maintained Christ was a created being, and that there was a time when he "was not". The orthodox viewpoint is that Christ is part of the eternally existent Trinity, so there was never a time when he did not exist. The KEY to the Magnentian reverse, however, is not the Chi-Rho, but the A (alpha) and the W (omega) to either side. This is a direct allusion to the Revelation of John 1:8 (also 22:13) where Christ says: "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the ending," saith the Lord, "which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." This clearly asserts the eternal existence of Christ, which the Arian Constantius would not support. The west tended to be more orthodox, while the east tended to be more Arian. Magnentius' revolt was of course centered in the west, in Gaul. The presence of the A and W clearly makes it strictly an appeal to orthodox Christians, nothing to do with any meaning the pagans might assign to it.