The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-21
.ACOMB OF OSTRIANUS.
etiC Inscriptions TO the Dead Of
Long Ago.

resting Tradition With Regard to
Peter-Oil From the Lamps of
lartyrs - The Story st. Emeren-
ana.
Rome Letter in the Baltimore Sun.
the tourist or traveller of studious in
bation had followed the counsel en-
HE'D in the old saying, "Do in Rome as
bue does" he would probably have
ind himself on morning about the
Eddle of January one of a mysterious
Ioup of persons on their way to the cata-
bnb of Ostrianus, about a mile and
alf outside Porto Pia. A mere walk,
Eade in an observant spirit, through
lalerv of renowned paintings or cele-
krated statues might furnish material for
thought sufficient, if worked out, to form
liberal education. And the visit to the
Lstacomb, with all it suggested, together
Evith what was said of it, would con-
ktitute an extensive historical disserta-
ton.
Although it was mid-January. the
weather was mild, the snow on the dis
TAM Sabine Hills and the nearer Monte
JCavo contrasting brightly with the in
tense blue that disting cuisines them. The
| TO2d was nlleQ WIN SLuu6ubS OIL SCCleSl-
| sstical colleges, arrayed in long robes,
with broad bands depending from the
shoulders, an indication that they are
| still in a state of pupilage, for these are
| leading strings The several colleges are
| distinguished by the colors OF their robes
| and sashes Most are of a dark hue, save
| those of the Austro-German College,
| whose students wear robes of bright
yermilion red that is visible half a mile
away.
| At the open gate Of a villa, branches of
box strewn on the path leading into a
field denote that here the feast, which
vyas that of St. Peters chair in Rome
was kept. A stone sentry box at one side
of the field is the entrance to the Cata-
comb over the rude open door an in
scription in Latin is painted on sheet of
iron This is a quotation from an ancient
work referring TO some notable saints
who were originally buried here. Rome,
as one writer says very aptly, is the city
of inscriptions. A stranger cannot take
a step in it without seeing everywhere
an inscription II forms an endless book,
the leaves Of which are palaces, basilicas
and monuments of every age. New pages
are written every other day. If a memo
rabe incident occurred, or a distin-
guished person visited it, or a popular
fete took place, or if the pope, in the
'brave days of old" went to visit some
prince or sovereign in a hotel, the fact
was inscribed in choice Latin on imper-
ishable marble Imagine this sort of
thing carried on for centuries, and add to
the product of this habit the countless
pagan inscriptions of all kinds on the liv-
ing and the dead, and the nun berless
epitaphs on the Christian dead since the
first centuries of Christianity, and you
will have an approximation of the extent
and character of inscription literature.
Time and warfare and the destructive
hand of ignorance have combined to
diminish vastly this huge library of stone
but enough Of it yet remains to occupy
the lives of many experts in the science
OF geography or the reading and inter
preting of such inscriptions.
AMONG THE DEAD OF THE FAR PAST.
As you begin to descend the long stair
leading into the depths OF the soil, and
which is well lighted by candles in groups
CT three, placed in brackets, you soon meet
with inscriptions. The roof of the stair
case is high and arched, and slopes down
parallel to the slope of the stair On the
side walls are graves cut into the rock,
which is soft stone known as tufa, one
over the other like berUhs in an emigrant
ship or shelves in a library. Many of
these are still closed with slabs of marble
or terra Gotta. On the former an inscrip-
ton is cut, on the latter painted in red
color, telling the name once borne by the
inmate laid to rest there many centuries
ago. Indeed, so accurate has the study
OF these great Christian cemeteries be-
come that we know that all these bodies
were pla ed to rest in these underground
cities of the dead before the year 40
That IS to say, the latest burial in the
Roman catacombs was made in that year,
l,4S4 years ago!
Having reached the bottom of the steps
in u hi ,.,.5 d..
about four feet wide, and on each side
locull, or apertures, in which the dead
were placed. Some of these are empty :;
some contain a skull and a few large
bones; some are still Theoretically closed,
ther ashes still undisturbed amidst the
turmoil and change that the passing cen
turtles have wrought. But from most
graves the slabs that shut in the dead
oouy nave been torn away or smashed in
"dhlonness, when, in the ages when the
CdJdcom0S were unknown and uncared
Igf' they formed a refuge and hiding
place for brigands and malefactors.
mere on one slab half of which is
ioSJ, YOU see some Greek letters, the
Ueglnnng of a name. which can ONLY be
guessed now. The end of name-diae
Leuclsslmae, you make out to have
o.oOU' originally, Claudiae Felicissimae-
20 OIaudla most happy; and you dream of
.He sorrow of beloved friends or rela-
ives consoled by the thought that the
pear one Claudia was enjoying eternal
happiness. Another revelation of pa
rental love, recorded through the long
ages down TO our day, is that furnished
y! me inscription met with here to Letus
5HOclenus, our most sweet son"-flio
ttJiclSslmo. Another, written in Greek,
G @IS YOU that here lies Callistus of
ntiGG!y' The epitaph represents him as
5@6ulhg his story, and it says: Il died at
II NJ years of age. | dwell in eternity"
ms furnishes forth the firm faith of Cal
aSgus IN a future state, and says that it
" Ior MIN life of bliss.
r. nut now there is heard sound of
,olCes singing in the distance. There is
t,So'eihltY and mystery in these dis
t tIuV voices In such place, surrounded by
f ne UusJ and homes of the dead, and many
49, 49, beneath the surface of the soil, away
I'm I'm the fresh air and the bright, healthy
U T,It and the fair faces of nature,
f Snle IN are lndescribably impressive. You
NJ [I now the awakening in your mind of
hue "reminiscences of what you have
, ugoyq and read about the life and
"TTlsulp OF the early Christians
ae ,ne refugees from the daylight"
car Ihelr Pagan fellow-countrymen
r ral.eu lhem-and you appreciate in
e Ione IorcIole and convincing way than
ueIore the great cost at which men
EEIbvS9erted the faith in the early ages of
FL CuIlSJlaQltV A tinv1;t ni.bo o,7t IN -