The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-09-18

HERTAINLY the most unique dis
covery made during the last dec
ade among the antiqu uities of Rom has
been that Of the house of the martyrs
John and Paul on the Coelian Hill.
Hitherto we have been familiarized with
the interiors of pagan dwellings, by
those excavated at Pompeii and Hercu-
laneum. and the houses Of Livia at
Prima Porte and on the Palatine Hill,
but no Christian house had hitherto
been revealed by the spade. Now we
have one. and that one belonging to
men of whom we know something.
The story of this house is, in itself, a
romance.
During the reign of Constantine the
Great, his daughter or neice, Constan-
tia, lived in Rome. She lived in the
imperial palace. which was not occupied
by the Emperor, who was at Byza ntium,
or if not occupying the entire palace,
resided in part Of it. and she had in
attendance on her John and Paul as
chamberlains, brothers and Christians.
She died shortly after Constantine, and
the chamberlains remained on in the
palace to the accession of Julian the
Apostate, in 361.
Julian at once sent orders that all i'm
perial officers and servants we're to sac
rifice to the genius OF the Emperor and
do worship to his image, which was the
short way with dissenters." that had
been devised by the Flavian emperors.
John and Paul refused to obey, and
were ordered to retire to their house till
Julian had been communicated with
and his pleasure known.
The Emperor sent orders that they
must obey or be put to death. If they
continued stubborn, they were to be
privately executed in their own house
and buried in the cellar. The Emp error
particularly desired that no publicity
should be given to the case, lest the
Christians of Rome should exalt these
refractory officials to the position of
martyrs.
Accordingly centurion and some
soldiers proceeded to the house of the
brothers on the Celian Hill, and on
their remaining steadfast in their re-
fusal to give idolatrous worship to the
image of the Emperor. they were de-
capitated and then burie d in the cellar.
The slaves had been kept apart and
were cautioned to say nothing. The
matter, however, could not be kept con-
cealed, and a great number of the faith
full came to the house to see and pray
at the place where the martyrs had suf-
fered. On learning this, the centurion
came to the Coelian, drove the devotees
away with violence and even killed three
of the most persistent.
Adjoining the church which was built
over the place of martyrdom and inter
ment. is monastery of the Passionists.
and access TO it and to the church is OBJ
tanned by narrow lane or street, that
runs up the south side of the church.
Now few years ago Padre Germano,
one of the passionist fathers. in study
ing the long blank south wall of the
church observed that it was by no means
an erection of either Adrian w. or of
Pammachius. that, in fact, it was an old
street front of house of three stories
the lower formerly opened on to the
street by six arches, above which we're
ranges of bedroom windows. All these
had been blocked up; but no sooner
had Padre Germano called attention to
the fact than it flashed on the minds Of
antiquaries that the south wall of the
church was nothing other than the
streetfront of the house of the martyrs,
which had been used first by Pamma-
chius and then by Adrian w. What is
more, this is the only street-front of an
old Roman house extant in Rome.
Padre Germano at once conceived the
idea that. as the floor of the church was
level with the floor of the first story of
bedrooms. all the reception-rooms. must
be buried under it. He obtained per-
mission from the Superior to explore
and with great difficulty collected a
small sum to pay the cost of excava.
tion.
was in Rome the winter of 1889, when
this exploration was begun. and again
during the winter of 1890, when it was
approaching completion; and as l made
the acquaintance of the Padre. l was
able to be present at the excavations
and to follow them; and in the spring of
1890 | conducted the English and Amer
lean visitors over the discovered house OF
the saints, and gave them an account OF
it, at the request of the English Arohe
illogical Society at Rome.
Since then more has been dug out
and now nearly the whole of the ground
floor of the hous has been revealed, as
also the cellars and bathe, all of which
had been buried by rubble and earth
when the successive churches had been
erected over the confession of the
mgrtyre.
The face of the street extends some
ITO feet. and is pierced, as already init
mated. by six arches, the three western
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