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(h) Domini Nostri applied to Consuls not Augusti :

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DD NN CLAEARCO ET RICOMEDE VVCC
CONSVLIBVS BENEMERENTI OLIBIONI QVI VIXIT
ANNVS XV. MESIS VI DIES XX DECESSII

DIE XII KALENDAS OCTOBRES IN PACE

Dominis Nostris Claearco (Clearcho) et Ricomede (Ricomere), Viris Clarissimis, Consulibus. Benemerenti Olibioni, qui vixit annus (annos) XV, mesis (menses) VI, dies XX. Decessii (decessit) die XII Kalendas Octobres in pace.

"In the Consulship of our Lords Clearchus and Ricomer, most distinguished men (i. e. 384 A.D.) To the well-deserving Olibio, who lived fifteen years, six months, twenty days. He departed on the twelfth day before the Calends of October, in peace," i, e. September 20th.

1. 1. DDNN. The phrase Domini Nostri is commonly applied to the Emperors; here it is used regarding private persons, who were Consuls. There are, also, other examples of this of earlier date. Hence Corsini, Zaccaria, and Cancelleri inferred that from the close of the 4th century, Consuls were usually styled Domini. Muratori, Hagenbuch, and De Rossi, more correctly, ascribe this use to inadvertency and mistake on the part of the stone-cutters.

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Q. VERGILIVS. FELIX

QVI VIXIT. ANNIS. III

MES. VI. DIEB. XVII.

(E coem. S. Hippolyti; D. Rossi, n. 445.)

(1) Hic positus est Victorianus, qui vixit annos plus minus L. Dipositos (depositus) in pace diem (die) IV Kalendas Junias, Dominis Nostris Tl. (Flavio) Cæsario et Nonio Attico, Viris Clarissimis.

(2) Diis Manibus. Quintus Vergilius Felix, qui vixit annis (annos) III, mes (menses) VI, diebus (dies) XVII.

(1) Here has been placed Victorianus, who lived fifty years, more or less. Buried in peace on the fourth day before the Calends of June, in the Consulship of our Lords, Flavius Cæsarius et Nonius Atticus, most distinguished men," i. e. May 29th, 397 a. D.

(2) "To the Gods the Manes. Quintus Vergilius Felix, who lived three years six months [and] seventeen days."

I have given this as an example of the tabulæ opisthographe, that are sometimes found in the Catacombs, scil. tablets on which a Pagan inscription had been cut, but which were subsequently used for a Christian epitaph.

Nonius Atticus had Maximus as his agnomen. It has been inferred from a lamp bearing the monogram, and his name-Noni Attici VC et Inlustris, that he was a Christian. This inference has been confirmed by a proof of the Christianity of the Nonian family at this period, given by Minervini, in Bull. Nap. Ser. 2. t. 1 p. 15, to which De Rossi, p. 198 refers, but which I have not seen.

(k) Specimen of Palæography :— 98.

(See Plate IV, 4.)

(E coemet. S. Zotici; De Rossi, n. 530.) Lepusclus (Lepusculus) Leo, qui vixit anum (annum) et mensis. (menses) undeci (undecim) et dies dece (decem) et nove (novem) perit septimu (septimo) calendas Agustas (Augustas) Onorio (Honorio) sexis (sexies) Agusto (Augusto).

"Lepusculus Leo, who lived a year and eleven months and nineteen days. He died on the seventh day before the Calends of August, (in the Consulship of), Honorius for the sixth time," i. e. July 26th, 404 A. D.

Lepusculus, as Muscula, was, probably, a pet name. Compare the modern Leporello. I have translated perit as standing for periit, but it may be used as Televra in Epitaph 23.

(1) Posture in prayer :—

99.

(See Plate IV, 2.).

(E coemet. Commodilla; De Rossi, n. 251.)

Petroniæ digna coiugi (conjugi) que (quæ) vixit annis (annos), XXI, et fecit cum conpare (compare) suo menses X, dies V. [Deposita]

Kalendis Novembribus pos (post) Consulatum Gratiani ter et Equitii, Ursus maritus sibi et innocenti compari fecit. Cesquet (quiescit) in pace.

"To Petronia, a worthy wife, who lived twenty-one years, and passed with her mate ten months, five days. [Buried] on the Calends of November, in the year after the Consulship of Gratianus, for the third time, and Equitius (i. e. November 1st, 375 A. D.) Ursus, her husband, made (this) for himself and his blameless mate. She rests in peace."

I have selected this epitaph chiefly because the stone presents an illustration of the attitude of a person praying. This position was at one time so general, that those, who were suffering penance, were not permitted to stand up in the church during prayer.

The outstretched arms and uplifted hands were common to both Jews and Pagans. At one time this figure in the attitude of prayer was regarded as an emblem of martyrdom; and the crown and the palm-branch, also, were interpreted as having similar significance, but these theories have not stood investigation. The figure in prayer is certainly a proof of Christianity, but the crown and the palm-branch are found on Pagan tomb-stones. See Muratori Nov. Thesaur., 1828, 5, Antiq. Ital. diss. LVIII; Raoul Rochette, Mem. sur les Antiq. Chrét. p. ii. § 2; Cardinal Mai, Vet. Script. Nov. Collect. V, p. 3, n. 1; and De Rossi, n. 30.

No symbol has so far been suggested as a criterion of martyrdom, that has been universally accepted by scholars. And yet there are at present few, if any, who would give their assent to Dodwell's opinions de paucitate Martyrum, or to Burnet's views, in his "Letters from Switzerland, &c.," regarding the identity of the catacombs and puticuli.

Birds form one of the favorite decorations of Christian tombstones. The most common of these is the dove, represented singly or in pairs, with or without a branch in the mouth, sometimes perched on a tree, sometimes pecking at a bunch of grapes, and sometimes standing on a vase. Singly it has been regarded as the emblem of peace or of simplicity-in pairs it may have been, in some cases, the symbol of affection. It is Jewish in its origin, and was, doubtless, derived from the history of Noah. Two other birds are occasionally represented, the peacock and the phoenix. They are both Pagan in their origin, but were used by Christians as symbolical of the resurrection.

(m) Interval between death and burial :

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100.

DN MAGNO MAXIMO AVG II CONSS

III IDVS MAIAS FATVM FECIT LEO ET
DEPOSITVS PRIDIE IDVS MAIAS BENE
MERENTI IN PACE

(E coem. Cyriaco; De Rossi, n. 374.)

Domino Nostro Magno Maximo Augusto iterum Consule, III Idus Maias fatum fecit Leo et depositus pridie Idus Maias. Bene merenti

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In the second Consulship of our Lord Magnus Maximus Augustus (i. e. 388 A. D.), on the third day before the Ides of May (i. e. May 13th), Leo died, and was buried on the day before the Ides of May (i. e. May 14th). To him well deserving in peace."

1.2. Fatum fecit. This rare expression for defunctus est is found in some other Christian epitaphs. See Corsini, Not. Græc. Diss. ü, p. XXIV.

1.3 Depositus pridie Idus Maias. Here the deceased was buried on the day after his death. Thus we find in Gruter, 1054, 8-quæ recessit die Mercurii hora VIII et deposita die lovis Iduum Maiarum, i. e. she died on Wednesday and was buried on Thursday. See other examples in Corsini, Diss. i, p. 12. In Muratori's, 1959, 9, we have an example of an interval of two days-Defunctus die XVI Kal. April. depositus XIIII Kal, i.e. he died on March 17th, and was buried on March 19th.

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