ST. DOMITILLA 237 the farm of Tor Narancia, on the Via Ardeatina. The relics of Flavia Domi- tilla and those of the other saint bearing the same name are said to have been preserved for many years in this villa, below which are some of the earliest known catacombs in the neighbourhood of Eome, known as the catacombs of Nereos and Achilles, and sometimes as the catacombs of Domitilla. Domitilla allowed her Christian brethren to be buried within the pre- cincts of her estate. The immense subterranean cemetery which now ex- tends far around the original nucleus is not entirely a work of the first century. At the beginning there were only small isolated groups of crypts at wide inter- vals, in which eminent Christians had been allowed to secure their burial-places " ex indulgentia Flayite Domitillsd." It was, perhaps, in the third century that cross galleries were excavated to connect these original deeply venerated cuhiculsBj so as to make an uninterrupted network of catacombs from one end of the jprsedium to the other. Clemens and Domitilla had two sons. These children were adopted by the Emperor, who changed their names to Vespasian and Domitian, and appointed the fjEimous Quintilian to be their tutor. They did not, however, succeed, and their history is unknown. In the year 05 Clemens was consul, having as his colleague the Emperor Domitian. As soon, however, as his consulate was over, Domitian had him put to death on a charge of atheism, which probably meant Christianity, this being then regarded as a sect of the hated Jewish religion. Clemens, though in reaUty a Christian martyr, would not declare himself as a Christian, and so lost the honour of a place in the Martyro- logies, unless he is the St. Clemens (Nov. 7 or 21 ), history imknown, spoken of in the Mart of St. Jerome, The accusation of sloth was also brought against him by the Emperor, because he refused to assist him in his persecution of the Christians. Within a few days of her husband's death, the Emperor wished Domitilla to marry again. On her refusal she was accused of impiety, and banished to the island of Pandataria, now Isola di Santa Maria, in the gulf of Pozzuoli, near Gkteta. Domitian was murdered a few months afterwards by Stephen, steward of Clemens and Domitilla, probably in revenge for his cruelty to Stephen's master and mistress. He was succeeded by Nerva, who re- called the banished Christians, and with them Domitilla, who returned to Bome. The little that is known with any certainty of either of the two 8S. Flavia Domitilla is from the heathen writers Dion and Suetonius, and from Eusebitus and St. Jerome. Baillet, Vie dea Saints. Tillemont, Ecdesiaatical History, vol. ii. Hare, Walks in Borne. Milner, History of the Cliurch. Lightfoot, Clement. St. Domitilla (2), May 7, V. + c. 100. St. Flavia Domitilla the Younger was great-niece of the Emperor Domitian, and daughter of St. Plautilla, sister of Clemens, the husband of Flavia Domitilla (1 At her death Plautilla left her daughter under the guardianship of Auspicius, with two eunuchs named Nereus and Achilles as servants and companion& They converted Auspicius to Christianity, and devoted themselves to the study of science and learning. Domitilla was betrothed by her uncle, the Emperor, to Aurelian, son of the consul, but was not yet old enough to be married. She was naturally very beautiful, took every means to make herself more so, and was fond of dress and jewels. Nereus and Achilles were sorry to soo her turning her thoughts to worldly pleasures, and advised her to give up Aurelian, who was despicable on account of his sloth, and consecrate herself to Christ by a vow of virginity. She immediately sent for St. Clement, the Pope, and took the veil from his hands. Aurelian, hearing of it, came in great haste and anxiety to Domitilla's palace, and sent the porter to tell her ho wished to speak to her. But she replied that he might go and speak to the devil, for she would not see him. Aurelian com- plained to the Emperor, who, having
