Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-04-21
THE CATACOMBs oFROME


From an interesting article concerning the
Underground Burial-Places of the Ancients at
Rome, published in the .8tlaatic INonthlv, We
make the following extracts -
The Roman catacombs consist for the most
part of a subterranean laby yriRth OF passages
cut through the soft volcanic rock OF the Cam
pagna, so narrow as rarely to admit OF two per-
sons walking abreast easily, but here and there
on either side opening into chambers of vary
ing size and form. The walls of the passages
through their whole extent, are lined with
narrow excavations, one above another, large
enough to admit of a body being placed in
each; and where they remain in their original
condition, these excavations are closed in front
by tiles, or by slab of marble cemented to
the rock, and in most cases bearing an inscrip-
ton. Nor is the labyrinth composed of pass
ages upon single level only; frequently
there are several stories. connected with each
other by sioping ways.
There is no single circumstance in relation
TO the cataconIbs, OF more striking, and At first
sight perplexing character, than their vast ex-
tent. About twenty different catacombs are
now known and are more or less open,-and Il
year is now hardly likely TO pass without the
discovery OF new one; for the original num-
her of underground cemeteries, as ascertained
from the early authorities, was nearly, if not
quite, three times this number. Il is but a
=
catacomb of St. CalixtI 5, one Of the most in
teresting OF all, nas found by the Cavalicre dc
Rossi; and it was only in the spring Of 1855
that the buried church and catacomb of St.
Alexander on The Momentum Way were bro't
10 light. Earthquakes, foCds and neglect
have obltcrated the openings OF many of these
ancient cemeteries,-and the hollow soil of
the Campagna is full .sof hidden graves which
walk over without knowing where they
arc.''
Each of The twelve great highways which ran
from the gates of Rome was bOrdered on either
side, at a short distance from the city wall, by
the hidden Christian cemeteries. The only
one Of the catacombs of which even partial
survey has been made, is that Of ST. Agnes, of
a portion of which the Padre March, published
Il map in 1915. alt is calculated to contain
about an eighth part of that cemetery. The
greatest length of the portion thus measured
is not more than seven hundred feet, and its
greatest width about five hundred and fifty;
nevertheless, if measure all the streets
that il contains, their united length scarcely
falls short of two English miles. This would
give fifteen or sixteen miles for all the streets
in the cemetery of St. Agnes" Taking this
as fair average OF the size Of the catacombs,
for some are larger and some smaller, we must
assign 10 the streets of graves already known
Il total length Of about three hundred miles.
with probability that the unknown ones are
at least of equal length. This conclusion APP
pears startling, when one thinks of the close
arrangement of the lines Of graves along the
walls ot these passages. The height of the
passages varies greatly, and with it the num-
Der of graves, one above another: but the Pa
Dire Aarchi, who is competent authority, esti-
mates the average number at ten, that is, five
each side, for every seven fect,-which
would give population of the dead, for the
three hundred miles, of not less than two mil
lions and quarter. No one who has visited
he I11f
number may seem, that the Padre Marchi's
calculation is an eXtravagant one as 10 the
number of graves in given space. We have
ourselves counted eleven graves, one over ar
ether, each side Of the passage, and there
is no space lost between the head of one grave
and the foot of another. Everywhere there is
economy of space,-the economy of men
working on a hard material, difficult TO be re-
moved, and laboring in confined space, with
the need of haste.
Descending from the level of the ground by
flight of steps into one OF the narrow under
ground passages, one sees on either side, by
the light of the taper with which he is provi-
ded, range upon range of tombs cut, as has
been described, in the walls that border the
pathway. Usually the arrangement is careful,
but with an indiscTiminate mingiing OF larger
and smaller graves as if they had been made
one after another for young and old, according
they might be brought for burial. Now and
iHen a system OF regularity Is lutIotuCSt, Do
if The tossor, or digger, who was a recognized
officer of the early Church. had had the leisure
for preparing graves before they were needed.
Here, there is a range of little graves for the
Youngest children, that all infants should
be laid together, then a range for older chill
drcn. and then one for the grown up. Some
times instead of a grave suitable for single
body. the excavation is made deep enough in
TO the rock to admit of two, three, or four
bodies being placed side by side,-family
graves And sometimes, instead of the SIM
pie IocuIus, or cofiin-like excavation, there IS
an arch cut out of the tufa, and sunk back o.
yer the whole depth of the grave, the outer
side of which is not cut away, so that, instead
of being closed in front by perpendicular
slab of marble or by tiles, it is covered on the
top by horizontal slab. Such grave is cal
led Grcosolium, and its somewhat elaborate
construction leads to the conclusion that IL
was rarely used in the earliest period OF the
catacombs- The an coSOiid are usually VIDE e.
nough for more than one body and IT would
seem. from inscriptions that have been found
upon their covering slabs, that they were not
infrequently prepared during the lifetime OF
persons who had paid beforehand for their
graves. 1t is not improbable tha. the expen-
ses of some one more of the cemeteries
may have been borne by the richer member:
of the Christian community, for the sake o.
tssir pecrsr brothers IL the faith. The exam