The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-02-22
Cremation and Interment.

Cremation became general at an early
epoch among the Romans. We find the
custom mentioned in the Twelve Tables
(Cic. De Leg. ii; 23). Sulla was the
first of the Gems Cornelia who was burned
1t is doubtful at what time cremation bs.
came general IN Greece the probability
is that the innovation Of burning spread
mere slowly in that country. and that the
methods of burial and cremation were
coDcurreutly practiced for considerable
period. Socrates, for instance, epeaks oi
the alternative Of interment or cremation
for his body plat. Phaed. p. 115).
Cremation is mentioned in the Iliad III,
xii; ; l27, and xiv: 1917. Lucian
mentions that the practice of the Per.
SLAMS is to bury their dead, but that Of
the Greeks to burn the same (Luc, DE-
Lact. 2D. The manner of cremation
both among the Greeks and the Romans
appears to have been very similar, A
pyre or pile Of wood by the Greeks called
purai, by the Romans rogxs, was raised
to considerable height. On this the
body was laid, and the pyre was then set
fire to. Oils and perfumes were cast in
the flames, to assist the cremation and to
impart sweet odors. If the deceased
were a great parsonage, treasures, horses
and even slaves were burned on the pyre
with him, as mark of respect. When
the pyre was quite burned down the FIRE
was extingushed by pouring wine over
the flames and hot ashes. The relatives
then collected the remains Of the deceased
with great care and washed them in
wine, together with oils and perfumes,
and placed them afterward 10 urns.
These urns were made of various mate.
rials and of different shapes sometimes
they were made of gold (Od. xiv: 7D.
sometimes of baked clay, or marble, or
alabaster. The Romans called the urn
feralis urna; it generally bore an cpl.
taphium beginning with tho letters d.
M. s., meaning Dis Mani5us sacrxm. or
'sacred to the names !" this was followed
by the namSrof the deceased. length of
his life, etc. Sometimes the s. was
omitted and the letters D. NJ. alone EN-.
ployed. In some instances little earth
was cast in with the remains. Among
the lower orders the same care and pomp
were not observed. Although also sub.
jeoied to cremation. the poorest citizens
we're not burned singly, but in heaps to.
gethor Mar lib. viii, Epiy. 76). which
must have been. to say the least. a dis.
Rusting spectacle. This system of crema-
tion was universally practiced throughout
Roman dominion during the empire
But as Christianity prevailed It began to
fall into desuetude, and tho fourth cen
tury saw the system entirely abolished.
The early Christians followed the custom
of tho Jews, which was to bury, not to
burn the dead, The Rabbis gave the
text, Dust thou art. and unto dust thou
shalt return," as reason for burial, and
refused to burn the deceased members of
the community. Tacitus notices the Jew.
ish custom, and remarks of them that it
is their practicc-"corpora conders guam
eremars'-"to bury rather than to burn"
(T.cit. His. v: 81. The Christians,
imbued with the belief that the bodies Of
the dead dying 10 grace were merely re.
posing in sleep of rest and peace, FOL.
lowed the example of the disposal OF the
body Of Christ, and did not burn the
bodies Of their dead, but laid them down
in some place with great decency and
care to await the resurrection This idea
Is fully borne ou: in the Catacombs
where the inscription "depositus in pace, u
etc, is frequent, the body being but
"laid down ir peace" for q little time
presently TO rise up again. And The
same idea is preserved 10 the word "cem
etery," or "e@meteriun." which is de
rived from the Greek, and means &
sleeping room" The resurrection beius
with Christians the paramount idea. they
viewed with horror any attempt such al
cremation, which would mangle or defac'
the slumberer. (See also 81. Chrys
HON. lxxxi, tom. w. 1t must not, how
ever, be supposed that the early Chris
tians attached any superstitious motiv,
or false religion to their dislike to crems
ton. They were we'll aware that ther,
was nothing whstever un. Christian, o.
against their faith in the practice of it
but they regarded burial as moro in GO
cord with nature. with the gospel, anC
with pious sentiment, respect to tho dead
Minucius Felix, in bis dialogue, make
the heather say: "Ilde videlicet et ca
serantur rogs' ct damnant igniuns sep
ulturas )" to which the Christian an
swers : "Nee Ut ereditis ullum damnum
sepnltnro timemus. sed ct vstersm ct mo
liorem eOnsustudinsna humandi frequent
anus" Ia accordance with the praotic
of early Christianity. Constantine wa
not burned, but was buried. This custol