Do you have any sources on the claim that it wasn’t a cross and was changed later for pagans?
No they do not.
There are writings from around ~200 talking about how the letter T and Tau look like the execution cross. Around the same time where the word “σταυρός”(cross) appears in New Testament versions.
The change to the modern/lower case version did start to happen around the time of conversions and suppression of pagans began. But as far as I am aware there is no evidence that was the reason. Specially since it didn’t really take off for a couple of hundred years, and became big with the crusades.
No they do not.
There are writings from around ~200 talking about how the letter T and Tau look like the execution cross. Around the same time where the word “σταυρός”(cross) appears in New Testament versions.
The change to the modern/lower case version did start to happen around the time of conversions and suppression of pagans began. But as far as I am aware there is no evidence that was the reason. Specially since it didn’t really take off for a couple of hundred years, and became big with the crusades.
Another good piece of evidence I just thought of is the oldest known depiction of Jesus: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexamenos_graffito
It seems the claim might originate with Jehovah’s Witnesses in modern times.