The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1866-03-15
A TALE OF THE CATAcoMBs.

A TALE OF THE CATACOMBS.r
The traveller who visits the Rome Of
to-day, if classic scholor and antigua
rian, occupies himself with the ruins Of
ancient Romc-that ''mother Of dead
empires" The ruined temples, trium-
phal arches, inscriptions, medals, coins,
the summit of the Capatoline Hill, or on
the ramparts of the Coliseum, he re-
builds the ancient city, making it rise
around him in massive grandeur, as it
stood in the days of the Caesars. ,., -.
The artist who visits Rome, spends his
time in the galleries of pictures and stat
uary; or, if he visits the churches, it is
to- inspect 1.-The Last Judgment of
Michael Angelo; "The TRANSPORTATION"
of Rafael; the wonderful frescocs of the
Sistine Chapel, Or the works of art that
crowd st. Peters He cares little for the
Rome of two thousand years ago, or the
Rome of to-day, except in so far as they
contribute to the enjoyment Of his favor
ite pursuit.
While there is a Rome for the artist,
and another for the antiquary, there is a
third Rome for the Christian visitor-a
Rome of three hundred churches, with
st. Peters, a world in itself, and the
treasures accumulated through fifteen
centuries in the Vatican. In this he
finds a world which occupies all his
attention. And when he has seen all
that presents itself upon the earth's SUI
beneath the ancient city-the Rome OF
the Catacombs.
Why these excavations were made
no history tells us. But in
the second century Of our era, they were
used by the Christians in Rome Us places
of refuge from parseeution, of secret wor-
ship, and for the burial of the dead.
Here. We're deposited the bodies of the
n1aItSs the bones,ofthoscsWho We're de-
sq,lreds by tiIe wild f@beasts in the amphi-
theatre, N4t the sasffiiess Of Others.
r'fhese c;t:tcolllbs are of great extent.
There are long galleries, with recesses OH
each side for burial, looking ike the tiers
of berths in our steamboats,. When the
bodies, or relics, were deposited, the re-
cess was walled up and plastered over
with cement, and the inscription, Civ
ing Che name alsdfa of the deceased,
and commencing his SOUL the prayers
of the faithful, was carved in stone, or
traced in the soft mortar. The lamps
are found which We're. kept lighted be-
fore the graves Of the martys, either as a
mark ofveneratfon, or to light those who
came there to pray and in many of
these tombs are found phials Of martyrs
blood, and the instruments Of their tor
tuIe
The curious reader who cannot go to
Rome, will find in the AstOr Library,
and can see, if he finds the librarian in
good humor, two Or three large folio
volumes, in which the galleries, chapels,
tombs, and relics of the catacombs are
represented with mastery fidelity.
The chapels of the second and third GEN.
turies, even in these subterranean re-
treats, he will find oramented with pic
lures, which show the early attention
given to Christian art and the elaborate
ornamentation, by historical and en-
blematic pictures, of places of Christian
worship.
Our story opens in the second century.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, the philos-
opher, was emperor. A fierce and gem
eral persecution drove the Christians to
the catacombs. The necessities of gain
ing livelihood compelled them to at
tend to their business and labors; but
their churches above ground were de-
serted, and the mysteries of religion Gel
ebrated by the graves OF the martys in
the bowels of the earth. Many were
thrown into prison-many were tortur-
ed and slain.
At this period, and at frequent inter-
walls during the three first centuries, the
pagan who was Jealous in his own wor-
ship; the malicious man who wished to
crafty spite against his neighbor; or
the plunderer who coveted his worldly
possessions, had only to denounce him
to the public authorities, If he was q
Christian, to satisfy his zeal, his malice,
or his cupidity.