The significance of the cross predates the Christian era, with its roots extending deep into ancient Greek thought, symbolism and religious practice. The cross is one of the most widely recognized religious symbols, most commonly associated with Christianity. However, from cosmological representations to mystical and philosophical interpretations, the cross has played a sacred role in pre-Christian Greek culture.
In prehistoric Greece, particularly in the Mycenaean period (circa 1600-1100 BCE), the cross symbol began to take shape. One of the earliest forms of the cross appears in the form of the solar cross.The archaeologist Christos Tsountas discovered a simple figure of a cross inside a circle in various contexts, including pottery and stone carvings. Archaeologists often interpret this symbol as representing the sun, a central force in ancient cosmologies. It is speculated that its four arms represent the cardinal directions or the passage of time and seasonal cycles.
In Mycenaean tombs we can see symbols resembling a cross on objects such as the daggers of Mycenae, where the images of intertwined geometric patterns can evoke the symbolism of balance and order. These symbols often aligned with the sun’s path and agricultural cycles. The cross was a natural signifier of cosmic harmony, where all things were aligned within the great order of the universe.
One of the earliest appearances of cross-like symbols in Greek tradition is linked to cosmology and the representation of the four elements—earth, water, air and fire—forming a balanced structure, often depicted as a cross. The philosopher Empedocles (5th century BCE) described the universe as composed of these four fundamental elements, symbolizing balance and unity.
Moreover, in Greek religious practice, the Ankh-like tau cross had its usage in rites. The ancient Greeks associated it with deities such as Dionysus and Orpheus. The Orphic tradition, deeply influential in Greek religious mysticism, saw the cross shape as a representation of life, death, and rebirth.
In the pre-christian times of Ancient Greece there is evidence of the cross’s significance to cosmology, mathematics and divinity. The symbol itself often denoted a point of intersection—either of opposites or of forces that created balance. This idea of balance and cosmic order was central to the teachings of several early Greek philosophers and mystics.
Pythagoras, the famed Greek philosopher and mathematician, emphasized the mathematical harmony of the universe. He believed that everything in existence followed a specific order, often expressed through numbers and geometry. The Pythagorean school regarded the cross shape as a reflection of the divine harmony of the cosmos. Moreover, Pythagoras and his followers revered the Tetractys, a triangular figure composed of ten dots arranged in a way that visually suggests a cross at its center.
While not directly a cross, the tetractys shares a symbolic similarity, representing the ordering of the cosmos through four elements. The number four was sacred to Pythagoreans. It embodied the idea of cosmic order and stability, much like the cross. The cross as a symbol divides the space it inhabits into balanced, equal parts.
Plato also explored the idea of symmetry and balance in the cosmos, particularly in his work, Timaeus. There he describes the universe’s creation as an act of divine rationality. The four elements in Greek philosophy can also be symbolized by the cross. Each element corresponds to one of the four cardinal directions or to one of the four components of the human soul. The cross—often symbolizing balance, stability and equilibrium—became an emblem of this divine order.
We can also perceive the cross as a compass. That is, a symbol that guides one through the four cardinal directions—north, south, east and west. Each direction represents different qualities and forces in the universe. The cross as a compass signifies the unity and balance of these forces. The intersection of the four directions can symbolize the point of equilibrium or the central axis of the universe. There the physical and metaphysical realms meet.
The Orphic mysteries often depicted a cosmic cross as a symbol of the divine structure of existence. The cross was the intersection of celestial and earthly forces. It embodied the link between the material and spiritual realms. Orphic hymns refer to the divine nature of this union:
“The Tetrad contains the Tetractys, the great beginning of all things.”
The Dionysian mysteries also held the cross in sacred regard. Dionysus himself was sometimes depicted with a stauros—a pole or cross-like object—symbolizing both suffering and transcendence. These are pre-christian themes that later Christian iconography adopted.
Plato, influenced by the Orphic tradition, in his dialogue Timaeus, described the World Soul as having a cruciform shape:
“He laid out the soul of the world in the shape of a cross.”
This passage suggests that the cross was a primordial shape within the Platonic conception of the universe, a structure underpinning both the material and the metaphysical order.
The tiny Orpheos Bakkikos stone, engraved with the representation of a crucifixion, has been lost since World War II.
At the beginning of the last century the stone was still regarded as an original, but during the 1920s, doubts arose concerning its authenticity due to its… pic.twitter.com/jyfdI4Mlp8
— Joe Quinn (@SeosQuinn) June 21, 2024
Archaeological evidence shows that ancient Greeks used cross-like symbols in temples and sanctuaries. In Minoan and Mycenaean religious sites, priests often positioned the Labrys, the double-headed axe of Zeus, in a cross-like manner to symbolize divine authority.
Additionally, the Hermetic cross, associated with the God Hermes Trismegistus, embodied the union of opposites—matter and spirit, life and death—similar to the later Christian crucifixion narrative. The Greeks viewed Hermes as the guide of souls, further linking the cross to transition, transcendence and divine wisdom.
The cross, far from being an exclusively Christian symbol, has deep roots in ancient Greek religious and philosophical traditions. Whether as a cosmic structure, a mystical path to enlightenment, or a divine representation of balance and justice, the cross was revered long before the rise of Christianity. The ancient Greeks saw in the cross the fundamental principles of existence. This makes it a holy symbol that transcends time and culture.
Through Orphic, Platonic, Pythagorean and Dionysian traditions, the cross retained its sacred character. It influenced later religious thought and ensured its continuity as a universal emblem of spiritual truth and cosmic order.
