Page:The early Christians in Rome (1911).djvu/32

PART III

TEACHING OF THE INSCRIPTIONS AND CARVINGS
ON THE TOMBS

I

EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS—THEIR SIMPLICITY

Uncounted numbers of graves in this silent city of the dead;
computed at three, four, or five millions—belonging to all
ranks—Some of these were elaborately adorned—Greek often
the language of very early epitaphs—Great simplicity as
a rule in inscriptions—No panegyric of dead—just a name—a
prayer—an emblem of faith and hope—Communion of
saints everywhere asserted 307

II

EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS CONTRASTED WITH PAGAN
INSCRIPTIONS

A few of these epitaphs quoted—never a word of sorrow for the
departed found in them—Question of the catacomb teaching
on efficacy of prayers of the dead for the living—S. Cyprian
quoted here—Desire of being interred close to a famous
martyr—Marked difference in the pagan conception of the
dead—Some pagan epitaphs quoted 310

III

EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS—THEIR DOGMATIC TEACHING

The epitaphs on the catacomb graves tell us with no uncertain
voice how intensely real among the Christian folk was the
conviction of the future life—They talk, as it were, with the
dead as with living ones—Dogmatic allusions in these short
epitaphs necessarily are very brief, but yet are quite definite—The
supreme divinity of Jesus Christ constantly asserted—The
catacombs are full of Christ—Of the emblems carved on
the graves—Jesus Christ as "the Good Shepherd" most
frequent—The "Crucifixion" became a favourite subject of
representation only in later years 314

APPENDIX

On the wish to be interred close to a saint or martyr—Quotation
from S. Augustine here 321