its use, in which it might be considered as standing for the place, or for the body itself. 7. DEPOSITVS LEONEDES IN PACE D IIII NONAS APRIL POST CONS IOANNIS ET VARANA (In S. Agnetis extra Muros; De Rossi, n. 799.) Depositus Leonedes (Leonides) in pace, die IV Nonas Apriles, post consulatum Joannis et Varana (Varanæ or Varanis). "Leonidas was buried in peace on the fourth day before the Nones of April, (in the year) after the Consulship of John and Varanes," i.e. April 2nd, 457, a.d. I have uniformly translated depositus by our ordinary word, "buried." There are some, who think that it is used with a special reference to the resurrection. Thus Northcote, "The Roman Catacombs," p. 143, remarks: "Each body, as it was laid in its grave, was said to be depositum there; deposited, that is, only for a while, to be reclaimed again in that day when the sea and the earth shall give up their dead." This is a pleasing, but, in my judgment, incorrect interpretation. The word depositus, meaning "laid down," is used by Classical authors in the sense despaired of," and "dead." See Virgil, En., xii., 395; Ovid, Trist., iii., 3, 40; Ex Pont., ii., 47. In Christian inscriptions, I regard it as signifying no more than "laid down," i.e. that the body (corpus integrum)-not merely portions of it, as was common among the heathen-was "buried." 66 II. THOSE IN WHICH ONLY THE Name, Age, and Date are Stated. 8. SERVILIA · ANNORVM · XIII · PIS ET BOL · COSS · (E coemeterio Lucina; De Rossi, n. 3.) Servilia, annorum XIII, Pisone et Bolano Consulibus. "Servilia, of thirteen years (of age), in the Consulship of Piso and Bolanus," i.e. 111, A.D. This inscription has no distinctive mark of a Christian epitaph; and yet the circumstances, under which it was found in the Catacombs, seem to warrant its being placed among them. See De Rossi, n. 3, 9. EPMEIACOKAI AITOPICMHMTE HIAMIAS QVIET LITORIVS M VIII ALBINO II ETMAXI MO COS XIIII KAPBH (Smyrna; Boeckh, Corp. Inscrip. Græc., n. 3309.) Ερμείας ὁ καὶ Λίτορις μηνῶν)ἢ [ἡ]μερῶν) [ι]ε. Hermias, qui et Litorius, mensium VIII, dierum XV, excessit, Albino II et Maximo Consulibus, XIV Kalendas Apriles. "Hermias, who was also called Litorius, of eight months, fifteen days (of ́ age), departed in the Consulship of Albinus for the second time, and Maximus, on the fourteenth day before the Calends of April," i.e. March 19th, 263, A.D. If this be a Christian epitaph, as it probably is, it is more ancient than any of those, not found in Rome, that bear dates. We must read in line 3, HERMIAS; and in line 7, K.APRIL. See De Rossi, p. 15. (E coemet. via Ardeatina; De Rossi, n. 13.) α ἐγεννήθη Αὐρηλιανῷ) (τὸ β) καὶ ω ἔζησεν Καπιτωλείνῳ (ὑπάτοις) τελευτᾷ πρὸ ἢ καλανδῶν ἔτη δύο (ἡμέρας) δέκα πέντε. "Aurelia Paula was born, in the Consulship of Aurelian for the second time, and Capitolinus (i.e. 274, A.D.) She dies on the eighth day before the Calends of She lived two years fifteen days." The date of her death was 277, a.d. 11. HIC IACET · MVSCVLA · QUAE ET GALATEA (E coemeterio Lucina; De Rossi, n. 224.) Hic jacet Muscula, quæ et Galatea, quæ vixit annis duobus, mensibus duobus, et diebus XVII. Deposita XV Kalendas Augustas, Gratiano Augusto II et Probo Consulibus, in pace. "Here lies Muscula, who was also called Galatea, who lived two years, two months, and seventeen days. Buried on the fifteenth day before the Calends of August, in the Consulship of Gratianus Augustus for the second time, and Probus (i.e. July 18th, 371, A.D.), in peace." It has been suggested that Galatea may have been the Heathen, and Muscula the Christian, name of the deceased. Thus we find in Reinesius, n. 452: Accia vel Maria est nomen mihi Tulliana, i.e. her heathen name was Accia, but her Christian, Maria. This notice, however, of two names is not rare in heathen epigraphy. Perhaps Muscula was her pet name. In the text, I have adopted, in the third line, De Rossi's reading of ET for IT. The use of the ablative for time "how long," is common in inscriptions. Sometimes we have the two constructions in the same sentence, as in n. 34. 12. TIBVRTIVS QVI VIXIT ANN XXVI ET MENS· (Ad S. Agnetis; De Rossi, n. 268.) Tiburtius, qui vixit annos XXVI et menses IX, dies XI. Depositus, VII Nonas Decembres, Domino Nostro Gratiano IV et Merobaude Consulibus, in pace. "Tiburtius, who lived twenty-six years, and nine months, (and) eleven days. Buried on the seventh day before the Nones of December, in the Consulship of our Lord Gratianus for the fourth time, and Merobaudes (i.e. November 29th, 377, A.D.), in peace." 1. 2. VII NON DEC. I have regarded this as = III · KAL· DEC. Thus we have in De Rossi, n. 442, VIII· X · (XVIII) KLMART, i.e. PRID· ID FEB.; and in n. 587, XVIII KAL ENDAS NOBEMBRES, i.e. ID · OCTOB. (In Bibliotheca S. Gregorii-Marini; De Rossi, n. 362.) (H) ic positus ets (est) Leo, qui vixit annos XXVI. Dipositus (depositus) VIII Idus Octobres, natus est Tauro et Florentio Consulibus. "Here has been laid Leo, who lived twenty-six years. Buried on the eighth day before the Ides of October. He was born in the Consulship of Taurus and Florentius," i.e. 361, A.D. As Leo was twenty-six years of age at his death, it it evident that this epitaph is of the date, October 8th, 386, A.D. 14. HIC REQVIESCET IN SOMNO PACIS MALA QVI VIXIT ANNOS XXXVIII. M. V. DV. ACCEPTA APVT DE IV IDVS IVNIAS AETIO CONL. (E fundamentis vet. bas. Vaticana; De Rossi, n. 678.) Hic requiescet (requiescit), in somno pacis, Mala qui (quæ) vixit annos XXXVIII, menses V, dies V. Accepta aput (apud) De(um) IV Idus Junias Aetio Consule. "Here rests, in the sleep of peace, Mala, who lived thirty-eight years, five months, five days. Received before God, on the fourth day before the Ides of June, in the Consulship of Aetius," i.e. June 10th, 432, A.D. 1. 1. Requiescet. As if it were of the second conjugation: similarly quiescet and requiescent, for quiescit and requiescunt. In Gruter, 998, 10, we have Hic requiescent, in a heathen inscription, said of the living, i.e. we have the ordinary future. Ενθάδε κῖτε (κεῖται) ἐν εἰρήνῃ Μαρία. Ἔζησεν ἔτη [μι]κρό(ν) πρὸς β. Ἐτελιώθη (ἐτελειώθη) Ἰουλίου κς υπ[ατί]ᾳ Φ.[Α]σ[π]α[ρος]. "Here lies in peace Mary. She lived a little more than two years. She finished her course on the twenty-sixth of July, in the Consulship of Flavius Aspar," i.e. 434, a.d. I have given Kirchhoff's reading and expansion. Corsini read the last line thus: Þ. As. Þ. ASC, i.e. after emendation, Flavii Ariovindi et Flavii Asparis, giving the names of the two consuls. De Rossi suggests: PAS DAYCTov, i.e. Flavii Fausti, or 490, a.d. III. THOSE IN WHICH SOME CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DECEASED IS STATED. 16. (See Plate II, 1.) (E coemeterio Laurentii; De Rossi, n 23.) Σιμπλικία ἢ καὶ Καλώνυμος ἔζησεν ἔτη τα ἡμέρας κγ ἐτελεύτησεν πρὸ ιγ καλ. Νοβεμβρίων Φαύστῳ καὶ Γάλλῳ ὑπάτοις. "Simplicia, who was also rightly so named, lived eleven years, twentythree days, died on the thirteenth day before the Calends of November, in the Consulship of Faustus and Gallus," i.e. October 20th, 298, a.d. These consuls were Anicius Faustus, for the second time, and Virius Gallus. See De Rossi, p. 28, and Clinton, Fasti Romani, ii., 194. "H xai, like the Latin quæ et, is frequently used to signify "who also was called." Here I have taken kaλóvμos as an adjective, as it has been understood by Montfaucon, Kirchhoff, and De Rossi. The signification is, that her name, Simplicia, was a true indication of her habits and manners. 17. INNOCENTISSIMO PAVLO QVI VIX · M · X · D · XIIII. DEPOSIT PRID NON · DECE IN PACE COSTANTIO · III · ET COSTATE II · CONS· (E coem. Prætextati; De Rossi, n. 67.) Innocentissimo Paulo, qui vixit menses X, dies XIV. Depositus, pridie Nonas Decembres, Constantio III et Costate (Constante) II Consulibus. "To the very innocent Paul, who lived ten months, fourteen days. Buried on the day before the Nones of December, in the Consulship of Constantius for the third time, and Constans for the second time," i.e. December 4th, 342, A.D. 18. (See Plate II, 4.) |