Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
A UNIQUE FIND IN ROME.
Houses Of Christians in the Fourth
Canfnrr ITnaarfhad

Century Unearthed.
A house has been discovered in Rome which
belonged to Christians in the fourth century.
The Emperor Julian i'll A. ID. 361 caused two
Christian chamberlains Of the palace to be
strangled in their own house and buried in the
cellar because they refused to renounce their
religion. Juian's successor, Jovian, caused q
church to be built over the house, making the
first story. filled with earth and stones, the
foundation. This story and the cellar beneath
has remained unaltered till it was a short time
ago uncovered. That portion which contains
the evidence of it's having been owned by
Christians is thus described in Chambers
Journal:
So far four large chambers have been cleared
as well as two smaller ones--divans we may
call them-and great deal of that portion of
the house devoted to domestic purposes One
noble hall has frleze of eleven nude figures
holding festoons of flowers and fruit each figure
about three feet six inches high, drawn with
perfect grace and mastery. Between the fig
ures are peacocks and ducks pacing in easy at
titudes and birds fly among the garlands The
vaulting OF this chamber is covered with an in
tricate pattern of vines trailing in all directions
with children picking grapes and soaring birds
One bird has bounced ON mouse. and is peck
ing 1t to death. This chamber belonged al
most certainly to the house of the brothers
parents. and the painting to a period before
the family embraced Christianity, not that there
Is any particular heather symbol in the decora-
ton, or that the early Christians objected to
representations Of the nude, but that the quail
ity OF the drawing Is superior to the age of
Constantine and Is determined to belong to the
third century at the latest.
The tablinum, or grand reception room of
the house, however, leaves no doubt as to the
religion of the owners of the house. On the
t-u IL Tod IL
before he approaches the burning bush; also
woman with hands uplifted IN prayer. In two
places IN the house are paintings representing
a vessel of milk and two sheep, one approach
ing and the other turning away-a well-known
symbolic representation found in the Cata-
combs-the vessel signifying the sincere milk
OF the word, which some receive and others
reject.
The Padre Germano observed that the plaster
OF the wall, the plaster laid on 10 receive the
painted decorations. was i'll one place raised in
sort OF blister. He picked it and from under
the plaster came forth a leaden seal with the
Initials OF Christ thereon. The Romans we're
wont to lay leaden seals stamped with the image
OF the emperor IN the foundations of their
buildings. Here the plasterers must have held
tho leadcn seal with the symbol Of their
Heavenly King with one finger against the wall
while they plastered over it 10 fix it in place. to
show to after ages that the work had been done
by Christians.
Inns cellar having been cleared Of earth
Padre Germano noticed that tho vault above
had been rudely cut through, forming a rough
hexagonal hole. Moreover, steps were found
Leading upward, and these, on being cleared,
led to a passage, at the end of which was a win.
dow with grating, exactly over the place Of
burial OF the martyrs. This was the window
through which pilgrims let down ribbons to
touch the tomb. But what was peculiarly in
teresting here was a series Of paintings repre-
senting on one side the martyrdom, on the
other the hgures of the martyrs themselves and
others bringing baskets of offerings in their
hands. As these paintings certainly belong to
his time, and as he was a contemporary with
the martyrs, it is not impossible that we have
in his series actual portraits In con-
ciusIon we must point out that this discovery is
absolutely unique. Many heather mansions
have been disinterred, but this is the only
house that has been found that unmistak ably
belonged to Christians. In another way it il
unique-it Is the sole extant sample of a three
stored Roman house. One was uncovered at
Pompeii, but the walls fell. Here the walls are
intact, built into those of church.