The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-08-11

All these urns have long since been emp
tied OF their atoms of human dust; but each
name, and the service by which the laurels
were won, are written in tables of stone,
that the stranger may know in what way
each earned so worthy burial
Here Tryphena records her affection for
her mother, in memorial tablet. Her own
name and Tryphosas are found in another
tomb, where areinterred the servants of Livia
Augustus.
In this colombaria were recorded many
names which are familiar to us in Paul's let
ter to the Romans, such as Hermes, Patro-
bus Julia, Nereus and Epaphras. 1t seems
reasonable to take these as Paul's friends,
and the supporters of the early Christian
church at Rome.
AS Paul drew nearer the city, he could not
fail to admire the stately tomb of Priscilla,
not the friend whom he associates with
Aquila, but most likely a Pagan woman OF
patrician birth. There were many bellies,
whose charms won or broke the hearts OF
Rome's senators and kings, whose names are
forgotten, but Priscilla's husband so exalted
the loneliness Of his wife that he erected the
obdtuOo VI tliO tulSO SOooOooOo OfCl AiOA ooAAAH
to impress the stranger that she embodied
the graces and virtues of all.
We have left out the ment ion of many
fragments of ruins, which derive interest
from other sources, as we wish to associate
the Appian Way with Paul's life. Here we
might leave him approaching the Capena
Gate, where the whole of Rome's magnif-
cence burst upon him. The Temple of Jupi-
ter, on the Capitolne Hill, the Tabularium,
and the Baslica, on the Palatine Hill, where
probably he afterwards faced Nero, all rose
UP in their grandeur to his view as he entered
the city. If he cared to linger he would not
be permitted; but was hurried to the Preto-
rian Camp, where julius was glad to shift
the responsibility of his prisoner and deliver
him into the hands of the captain of the
guard.
Our interest in Pagan history detained us
for awhile atScipio's tomb. This is twofold:
the lower one is the last resting place Of the
early Scipios, while the upper bears tablet
with the name of Tacitus, the historian, who
was of that family. And here, too, we read
the name of Aula Cornelia. We know not
whether this is the renowned mother Of the
Gracchi, who made such fine exhibition OF
genuine maternal pride in her promising
boys, as her treasures of intrinsic worth,
compared with the earthly baubles OF which
her vain guest made her boast On the out
side of one of these tombs was the familiar
quotation, ''Touch not, 0 mortals, revere the
shades of the dead" This was an appeal to
the passer-by not to despoil the mortuary
chambers of the relics and offerings, whic h
were exposed and entirely trusted to the hon
or of visitors to the tombs.
We had determined, before returning at
night to see the catacombs of st. Calixtus
thoroughly, which are short distance from
this gate, but, after taking counsel of tie
keeper, who assured us we could make ram
BILE of fifty miles in them, we contented our
selves with taking a wax taper, and humbly
walking behind the guide. Only the week
before party went in, when brainless fell
low thought it smart thing to play joke
on his companions. Stepping aside into
deep shadow, he misled few, who become
alarmed and were lost for many hours. The
guides always count the flock as they go in,
and if anyone of the company finds himself
astray he is commanded to stand still until
he is recovered, as an effort to extricate your
| self would be almost hopeless. There is
nothing left in these chambers of the dead
| but the rude frescoes and a few bits of sculp-
| ture When these burial places were first
| opened, the Church exalted all the silent
dwellers therein to saints and martyrs and
removed their sacred bones to the crypts of
the churches. They stripped off everything
which would now make the place interest
ing. If the fathers had allowed these re-
vered remains to rest in peace, their own
focks to-day might have enjoyed greater
blessings of health Some of the crypts of
the churches, from some connection with the
Tiber not understood, are wet all the year,
and in the Spring foundations are flooded,
sending forth most deadly exhalations to be
inhaled by the worshippers.
These catacombs were all of them the ex-
tensions of Pagan tombs, when they became
too small for the interments. Often the
tomb itself has fallen into decay. The wind
ing paths are lined on either side with tiers
of receptacles dug out of the rock, adapted
both for children and adults. Occasionally
we turned into small rooms or circles, which
were the family cubicula; and here we find
the walls frescoed and Sarcophagi encased in
the wall Biblical incidents are painted on
the sides, and also the trades of the deceased.
To represent figure in perspective was
feat the early Christian artists did not at
tempt. In the representation of the baptism
of John, Jesus is made a tiny man. 1t is a
trite saying there is nothing new. Here we
see the palsied man, in whom the Lord puts
new life, carrying off wire mattress or an
old-fashioned corded bed. The Christians
and pagans were mixed up in these tombs;
but it was generally easy to tell the grave OF
Christian, who could afford sarcophagus
or tablet, as they used the wayy lines, rep
resenting water, to show the friend had been
baptized. This figure of running water was
not original with the Christians; for we saw
precisely the same thing ON the fountains at
Ostia and Pompeii. Little by little they dis
carded pagan types, and adopted new forms
in art to express their new ideas. In the
frescoes of these tombs we never see the
Christians kneeling at prayer, but always
standing with their arms outstretched
to heaven.
We are glad the wise ones in this ancient
lore do not believe it necessary to exaggerate
the horrors of the prosecutions of the early
Christians by the old fictions which have been
fostered by the Church that they lived a
living death in these sunless caverns.
After wandering so long among the gloomy
shades we were glad to emerge into the sun
light and tarry awhile on the banks of the
Almo-a dirty little riyulet which winds
through the Vale of the MUSES.. Here spouts
today the Fount of Egeria, from whose sa-
cred stream the vestal virgins dipped water to
cleanse their consecrated shrine. We pity the
muses., they trailed their flowing robes over
this dusty lane, and had their reveries dis
turbed by the rafting of the donkey carts, or
the shrill cry of the muleteers. If they were
to saunter this way now, they would hardly
find clean spot where they could recline, to
strike their harps and pour out their souls in
song or where they might touch the light fan
tastic toe.
While at dinner that night, we reviewed
day. Of our stay in Rome, the Tecoflecti6hh 81
which would hereafter give us a fresh SYM
pathy with the labors and sufferings of
Paul.
M. G. P. B.
n ~