For the love of the letter X... Other than being a member of Generation X.       A·re·na: An enclosed area for the presentation of sports events and spectacles. During the ancient Roman times, intensive life or death duels were held in arenas. Gradiators fought for their lives to entertain spectators. Personally the Romans had built some of the most   spectacular sporting stadiums and 'arenas" which still stand today. Most are circular or oval in shape and still awe visitors today.     X is the twenty-fourth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is pronounced eks, plural ekses. Apart from being a part of the Latin alphabet, X has been used as a name sake for a Generation of Humans. Generation X commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the Generation born after the Baby Boom ended, ranging from 1961 to 1981. "X" the letter is a Roman numeral representing 10. It is commonly used in correspondence along with the letter O (as in "XOXO"-the Xs representing kisses and the Os hugs). Traditionally, X was used to "mark the spot" on treasure maps to indicate where treasure was buried. X is used by the illiterate in lieu of a signature and indicates a signature line on forms. In cartoons, Xs are drawn instead of eyes to indicate the death of a character. X also represents an incorrect answer on tests or quizzes. X in many cultures has represented Christ., i.e. in American culture x-mas is often used. X has been used as a unit of measurement, most notably XXL or 2X. Source: Wikipedia   Other interesting factoids     The Pharaoh's Crook and Flail Another explanation to the origin of alphabet X was from the ancient Egyptian inscriptions. The capital (majuscule) letter X symbolizes Assur as the GodFather of humankind and the God of resurrection.*   According to the legend, Assur was the "inventor" of agriculture and animal husbandry. In the classical Judgment Scene, Assur is usually colored green to identify him as the god of agriculture. The crook and flail identify Assur as the founding father of the early pastoral and agrarian civilizations. The shepherd's crook identifies him as the deified ancestor of those who were herders of sheep. The grain flail identifies him as the ancestral deity of farmers. Assur was the model for Biblical Adam, the father of Cain and Abel. Click here for more information. The sound of letter X* With many letters of the alphabet, the sound of the letter is derived from the function of the minuscule letter, the earth symbol. The letter X is a symbol of death and resurrection. Death is silent. The sound of letter X is not discernable from its function. However, the name of letter X (eqs) is related to death and resurrection. The Pagan symbolism, water is symbolic of life. The American Indian word squaw(squa), meaning a woman, is a compound of hiss+qua, the hiss of the asp and the sound of swallowing water. The word squaw(hiss+qua) says Isis water. The name of letter X (eqs) is also a compound of hiss+qua, Isis water. The name eqs is squa said backwards. Isis was the goddess of resurrection. Saying squa(Isis water) in reverse is intended to suggest returning from death to life. The letter X is a symbol of death and resurrection. Its name eqs, Isis-water-said-backwards, is derived from that tradition.   * Courtesy of resurrectisis.org