Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-02-25

CREMATION AND lNrERMENT-Cremation
became general at an earlyepoch 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 became general in Greece; the
probability is that the innovation of burn
ing spread more slowly in that country,
and that the methods Of burial and of ere
nation were cOncurrentlJ practiced for a
considerable period. Socrates. for instance,
speaks OF the alternative OF interment or
cremation for his body, (Plat. Ph0ed. D.
ll5) Cremation Is mentioned in the lliad,
(H. xiii, l27. and xiv. 7e7.) Lucian
mentions that the practice of the Persians
is to bury their dead, but that of the
Greeks to burn the same Clue De Luct 2l).
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
rQgus, was raised 10 considerable height
On this the body was laid, and the pyre was
then set fire to. Oils and perfumes were
cast in the flames, - assist the cremation
anc to impart sweet OdOTs. If the teceas-
ed were great parsonage, treasures, horses,
and even slaves were burned on the lvre
with him, as a mark Of respect. When The
pyre was quite burned down the FIRE was ex-
tinguished BY pouring wine over the flames
and hot ashes The relatives then collected
the remains otthc deceased with great care
and washed them with wine, together with
oil and periumes,i and placed them after
ward in urns. these urns were made Of
various materials and Ct different shapes
sometimes they were made Of gold. (Od.
XIV. Il y sometimes of baked clay, or
marble. or alabaster. The Romans called
the urn terGAs urRa it generally bore an
epltaphlun beginning with the letters ID.
NJ. 5. meaning DIS M1nIjus Saerum, or sa-
cred 10 tho names :" this was followed by
the name Of the deceased, length of mis- life,
&c. Sometimes the ). was omitted and the
letters ID. NJ. alone employed. In some IL
stances a little earth was east in with the
remains. Among the lower orders the same
care and pomp were not observed. Al
though also subjected to cremation, the
poorest citizens were not burned singly, but
in heaps together. Mar lib. viii Epig 75,)
which must have been, to say the least, q
disgusting spectacle. The system oi ere
nation was universally practlced through
out the Roman dominion during the En-
pire. But as Christianity prevailed 1t be-
gan 10 fall into desuetude. and the fourth
century saw the system entirely abolished.
Tne early Christians followed the custom of
the Jews, which was to bury. not TO burn
the dead. The Rabbis gaze the text,
Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt
return. as a reason for burial, and refused
to burn the deceased members of the COM
munity. Taeitus notices the Jewish Gus
tom, and remarks Of them that It Is their
practice" corpora cOndere guam ere
90 I,r, -
(Tacit. Hist V. - The Christians, imbued
with the belief that the bodies of the dead
dying in grace were merely repOsing in
sleep of rest and peace, followed the exam
pie 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 resur-
rectiOn. This idea Is fully borne out in the
Catacombs, where the inscription dep0Si-
tuS an pace, &c, is frequent, the body be-
ing but " laid down in peace Tor little
time, presently TO rise up again. And the
same idea il preserved in the word " ceme-
terry" or " oemeterIum, which Is derived
from the Greek, and means q" sleeping
room" The resurrection being with Chris
tans the paramount idea, they viewed with
horror any attempt such as cremation.
which would mGngle or dotace the sluInber-
CT. k1te hl-u 81 NuI = IlOul lAAAi- AOui ~
1t must not, however, be supposed that the
early Christians attached any superstltious
motive or false religion to their dislike to
cremation. They were well aware that there
was nothing whatever unchristian, or
against their faith in the practice of it. but
they regarded burial a more IN accord with
nature with the Gospel. and with piOuS
sentiment, respect to the dead. Minucius
Felix, in his Dialogue. makes tho heather
say, " Inde rideIicst Ct eIscrGHtar rOgoS et
damnani igaiu8, SepUiturds - to which the
Christian answers - Nee ut credits ui!uni
dGHnUDi StpulturG tImemus. Sed et ueterem
ct meAorem ooRSuetudnem hHmdndi .trequen-
Janus" In accordance with the practice
of early Christianity. Constantine was not
burned, but was buried This custom has
been perpetuated throughout Christendom
unto the present day.-Fruser's Magazine