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Byzantine Empire: Reconstructed and replica flags

Presentation of the flags
Standard of Constantine the Great (323)
Byzantine flag after 395
Standard of Nikiforos Fokas (963-969)
Standard of Constantine IX Paleologue (1449-1453)

See also:

Byzantine Empire

Presentation of the flags

Some "flags" of the Byzantine Empire are displayed in the Cretan Naval Museum in Hania (Chania). Crete was part of the Byzantine Empire from 395 until 1204.
The flags are square (or nearly-square rectangles), hung from flagpoles projecting at an angle from the museum wall, just like modern flags. I don't know how historically accurate that was - presumably not. The museum didn't depict any Roman-like standards along with them.

Bruce Tindall, 20 May 1996

Standard of Constantine the Great (323)

The flag has a white field with a blue couped cross. In each corner of the cross is a B-shaped firesteel; those to the left of the cross are backwards.

Bruce Tindall, 20 May 1996

Constantine the Great (270/288-337) was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. He established Christianism as the official religion of the Empire and founded Constantinople, later the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, as the "Second Rome".

Ivan Sache, 25 October 2003

by Ivan Sache

A similar flag, but forked, is described in Hellenic Flags [kok97], as:

Another flag used by the navy in the same [Byzantine] period. Replica, Hellenic Maritime Museum.

Norman Martin, 26 February 2000

Byzantine flag after 395

by Ivan Sache

The flag is red with a white couped cross. Thin diagonal rays extend from the upper left and right corners of the cross. The Greek letter Ρ is above the cross, in white.

Bruce Tindall, 20 May 1996

The diagonal rays are actually the Greek letter Χ. The ΧΡ symbol is an abbreviation for ΧΡΙϚΤΟϚ, Christ.

Phil Cleary, 22 July 2000

by Ivan Sache

A similar flag but with different colours is described in Hellenic Flags [kok97], as:

Military and naval flag at the time of Constantine the Great. The cross and the symbols of Christianity have replaced the Roman eagle. Replica, Hellenic Maritime Museum.

Norman Martin, 26 February 2000

Standard of Nikiforos Fokas (963-969)

by Ivan Sache

The flag is like the preceding ones, but with a blue instead of red field.

Bruce Tindall, 20 May 1996

Nikiforos Fokas (912-969) was Emperor from 963 to 969. He conquered Cilicia, Cyprus and a part of Syria. He was murdered by Jean I Tzimiskes (925-976, Emperor from 969 to 976).

Ivan Sache, 25 October 2003

Standard of Constantine XI Paleologue (1449-1453)

The flag is yellow with a black double-headed eagle holding an orb and a sword.

Bruce Tindall, 20 May 1996

Constantine XI (1403-1453) was the last Byzantine Emperor (1449-1453). He was killed during the seizure of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmet II.

Ivan Sache, 25 October 2003