The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-03-23
The Catacombs Of Rome.

| AS" tSLOllat llllO luOSC tiftl N atiiN ~
tricate recesses. Their origin is unknown
at least, there are no authentic records
of their excavation The purpose for
which they were last used-the burial of
the Christian dead-does not necessarily
indicate the purpose for which they were
formed. 1t is probable that they were
dug out in order to obtain, for building
purposes, the volcanic stone and sand
which underlie the whole Campagna;
but when, or by whom, is not known,
The excavations may have been com
menced before the time of the ancient
Romans; but if so, they were continued
in their day. as they contained the ma
terial required for the construction of
many of their works It was taken out
by quarrying or digging, leaving only
enough to sustain the superintendent
reaching in every direction as far as mod
ern research has extended. The whole
Campagna is honeycombed by them.
Openings occur in various places, and ac-
cidents have not been uncommon, in
| which riders over the Campagna have
broken in and sustained severe injury.
They are regarded as so unsafe, that Wis
itors are usually taken only through Il
|
the Church of St Sebastian on the APP
plan Way. The rock and earth are liable
to fall, and sad indeed would be the fate
Of those who should be buried beneath
the falling mass; and saddcr, yet, OF
those whose retreat should be cut off.
while they We're left to wander hopeless
| ly, until compelled by WEAKNESS and
weakness to lie down and die. Several
years ago, Il school, consisting of q teach
er and more than twenty boys, descend
ed into this subterranean city Of the an
cient dead but none of them returned to
tell what was their fate The fall of the
earth over one of the passages by which
they had left the main route, rendered
their escape by the same way impossible;
and although diligent search was made.
nothing is known to this day of how or
where in the vast labyrinth they met
| their death.
The peculiar interest attaching to these
Catacombs is, that during the early ages
of Christianity, in the times Of psrsecu-
tions by the Roman Empcrors, they were
the resort of Christians who fled to these
recesses for safety, and probably to some
extent for worship.
The passages are very narrow, not more
than three or tour feet wide, and about
six feet in height Oneach side and through
out the whole extent they are lined with
inches, or shelves, cut into the wall one
above another and usually four or five
feet in height, in each Of which there WAS
Just room for a body to be laid in length
wise. The fronts of the inches were closed
with long slabs of terra Gotta, cemented.
Occasionally marble was used, with an
inscription, containing some motto or SYM
boil expressive of the wishes or hopes of
the living for the dead. These inches
are now all tenantless and open, but we
could see where the dead had been repoS-
ing. The inscriptions are preserved else
where as relics One OF the long halls of
the Vatican is lined with the marbles ia
ken from these tombs.
The Catacombs connected with the
Church of St Agnese, iu another part Of
the Campagna, are nearly in the state
in which they were discovered The eX-
cavation are much more regular and on
a larger scale than those which we had
previously seen. Instead of being more
unsafe, as they are generally supposed to
be, they are less liable to crumblc and
fall The rock in which the excavations
are made is more solid. allowing the pas
saoes to be cut with more cXactness, and
they run often to Il great distance in il
right line The roofs are vaulted with
regularity, and the sides cut perfectly
square The same nicheS occur as in the
other Catacombs, and are raised above
one another to the number of five or six,
but they have not been ritled excepting
to remove the slabs and inscriptions.
The bones of the dead by hundreds and
even thousands are lying where they
were deposited sixteen or eighteen cen
tures ago.
After walking for Il long time through
these halls, some seventy feet below the
surface of the ground, and having enter
ed several chambers painted rudely in
fresco, we ascended to another story, but
not to the light of day. These passages
are generally two or three stories in height,
but seldom have any intcrcommumicaton
The air is exceedingly dry, and the tenn
: perature higher than that of the air above,
) but after Il time it becomes sitting, al
though there is nothing unpleasant in
, other respects, 1t appears to be perfect
ly pure.
| The incriptions which we found upon
the marble slabs with which the inches
} were closed, are an interesting study,
and may be seen ut any time in the main
entrance to the museum of the Vatican.
There are many pieces OF rude sculpture
+ in bas-relief, representing Scripture scenes,
, and generally those scenes which were
) most appropriate to the perSccuted state
} of the early Christians. The three
children i'll the fiery furnace, and Daniel
in the lions den, are frequently repre-
| sented. The baptism of Christ and vari-
Gus scenes in his life are SculpturcG in
) the same manner. The dove, rs an
) emblem of peace, occurs very often. |
: give the translation of Il few rs Il Speci-
men.
"Lannes, the martyr of Christ rests
) here. He suffered under Dioclctian."
I'm the time of Emperor Adrian, Mar
ius, a young military leader, who had
lived long enough; with his blood he
gave up his life for Christ. At length he
rested in peace. The well-deserving,
| with tears and fears, erected this on the
} Ides of December VI"
Here lies Gordinus. deputy of Gaul.
murdered with all his family for his faith,
| They rest in peace, Theophia, his maid,
erected this
''In peace" and I'm Christ" frequent
: " occur upon the slabs which closed the
graves. N. Y. Observer.
A romatic story comes from Plattsburg.
A young lady and gentleman on Il recent
, evening joined the skaters on the beauti-
tul Lake Champlain, but. pretening each
others society alone, wandered of to an
unfrequented part some two miles from
shore, where the ice was the Smoothest.
While enjoying the splendid skating, the
gentleman was suddenly plunged into
the water by the iral ice giving way.
The young lady's screams We're unavail-
ing, but She would not desert her com
panion, and taking Off her dress and jack
ct she tied them together and attempted
to reach him with them, but in vain
j. Her stockings Were added, but still the
rope was too brief, and the young man
was rapidly becoming exhausted. Her
ingenuity did not fail her. Dropping OFF
her hoop skirt, it was quickly severed in
to half dozen pieces, added TO the jack
| of dress and stock mrs and tp hpr ,rraat