Look at Post 175 (directly after your answer). Note that it reads IHS, not iota-eta-sigma. So, those are Latin letters, not Greek ones. So, It is not a monogram of +Jesus+’ name, but as other insist and I agree, IHS, in hoc signo [vinces], referring to Constantine’s symbol at the Battle of Milvian Bridge.
Besides, Georgetown was founded by Roman Catholics, not Greek Orthodox. It would be wonderful if they did adopt some Eastern symbology, but unusual and probably even at this point unprecedented.
The upper case Greek eta is written “H”. The substitution of the Latin S for sigma is a convention that emerged in the linguistic gumbo of the Mediterranean basin. Perhaps you are aware that sigma also is written with a C, esp. in late antiquity and the Byzantine period.
There is not much Greek left in the Latin church, but it has not been completely eliminated.
“Symbology” is a very recent coinage. Dan Brown, I think.
I’m sorry but you’re wrong. This has nothing to do with Georgetown, but with the Society of Jesus, founded several hundred years earlier. The Jesuits, as I stated, have always used the first three initials of the name of Jesus, IN GREEK (regardless of their being “Roman” Catholics, irrelevant; St. Ignatius was a Spaniard so why not Spanish), which are IHS. For centuries now “IHS” has been a Christian symbol for “Christ”.
That’s very cute that the Latin for Constantine’s famous words happen to be the same letters, “By This Sign (You Shall Conquer)”, a quaint historical anomoly but nothing whatsoever to do with the FACT of what I state above.
However, since the numerous conflicting arguments on this post AND on the internet threw me into momentary doubt, I just consulted a source whose knowledge is certainly superior to mine and yours. I called a family friend who has been a Jesuit priest for over 60 years (an orthodox one), holds a PhD in History, and has lectured at Georgetown among numerous other Catholic universities around the world. If that doesn’t settle the argument for you, feel free to persist in your error.