“Mistress” at Lycosura, wearing a ring on any finger; only rings
destined for dedication might be brought into the temple.[400] This
is attested by an inscription from the second century B.C.;
the regulation must, however, date from an earlier period. The same
prohibition as to wearing rings was decreed in the case of all those
who wished to seek for enlightenment from the oracle of Faunus, and the
petitioners were also required to abstain from meat and to preserve
their chastity. The ring was supposed to interfere with the freedom of
the spirit to receive the divine grace or counsel.[401]
Of rings apparently dedicated to some deity, the rich British Museum
collection has several examples. A bronze ring, having a thin rounded
hoop, to the ends of which a transverse oval plate has been soldered,
bears an inscription in Greek letters signifying “Great is the name
of Serapis”; this ring is late Roman, from a time when the worship
of Serapis was wide-spread in the Roman world. An octagonal ring of
solid gold may have been dedicated to Apollo, as it is engraved with
the name of this divinity; the two sides of the octagon flanking the
central one bear, respectively, engravings of a crescent and of a
star. An inscription found in Delos records several rings dedicated
to the Delian temple by Stratonice, wife of Seleucos I, Nicator
(365–281 B.C.). One of these was a gold ring, set with a sard
on which was engraved the image of Apollo, the temple god; a gold
ring dedicated to both Apollo and Artemis, and having the image of a
Victory; and another gold ring, set with a stone on which was engraved
an inscription signifying that it was dedicated by Queen Stratonice,
daughter of Demetrius, to the Artemis of Delos.[402]
In a list of jewels dedicated to Isis, engraved on the base of an
ancient statue of that goddess at Alicante, Spain, four rings are
noted. Two of them had emerald settings, while the other two, placed
on the little finger of the statue, were set with diamonds. This
inscription contains the name of the donor, Fabia Fabiana, and the
statement that the gift was made on behalf of her granddaughter Avita.
The statue has disappeared, but the inscription still calls to mind
the honor it received in long past time and the brilliancy of the
jewel decoration, for beside the rings, a pearl and emerald earring
was inserted in either ear; about the neck was a necklace of four rows
of emeralds and pearls; two circlets composed of eleven beryls and two
emeralds clasped the ankles, and two bracelets set with eight emeralds
and eight pearls spanned the wrists.[403]
There does not appear to have been any “Rabbi’s Ring” worn as an
insignia of office, although many rabbis owned and wore engraved
rings, perhaps using them as signets. Of this class may be an old ring
referred to the time of Judah Hanasi (175–247 A.D.), now in
the Albertinus Home in Dresden, Saxony. It is set with an amethyst
on which has been engraved the seven-branched candlestick, one of
the adornments of the Temple and figured on the Arch of Titus, in
Rome, as among the treasures borne off by the victorious Romans after
the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Rabbi Judah ben Ezekiel
(220–299 A.D.) had a ring showing the figure of a man’s head.
The design on a ring of Rabba bar Rabbi Huna (ca. 300 A.D.)
depicted a palm, while on a fifth century ring worn by another Rabbi
Judah Hanasi was engraved the figure of a fish.[404]
The following principal symbolic or typical designs have been observed
upon early Christian rings:[405]
The lyre, rare.
A ship, denoting the life-voyage of the Christian to the port of
salvation.
An anchor, emblem of constancy and of hope.
A dove, symbolical of innocence and typical of the Holy Spirit.
Alpha and Omega, the Greek characters, first and last of the
alphabet. Symbol of Christ, as in Rev. i, 8: “I am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord.”
The Monogram of Christ formed of the first two Greek letters of
the name Christos, the so-called Chrisma combining the X (Ch) and
the P (r).
The Good Shepherd, with the lost sheep on his shoulder.
Scenes from the life of Christ.
Episodes of the story of Jonah, as Jesus cited this story when
speaking of the Resurrection.
Daniel in the Lion’s Den, a triumph of faith which must have
appealed strongly to the Christians in time of persecution, when
those of the faith were often given as prey to wild beasts.
Elijah borne to heaven, probably typical of the resurrection.
Orpheus playing on the lyre. This pagan design was given a
Christian meaning, mainly because of certain spurious Orphic poems
foreshadowing the birth of Christ.
Fall of Adam and Eve. Here the meaning is quite obvious: “As
in Adam all died so in Christ shall all be made alive,” as the
apostle Paul wrote.
The Ark of Noah; God’s promise to save mankind.
A lion, evidently signifying the Lion of the Tribe of Judah,
applied to Christ.
A lamb, typical of Christ and of Christians. In the Gospel of
John, ii, 36, John the Baptist exclaimed on seeing Jesus: “Behold
the Lamb of God.”
A hare. This may denote the dangers which so often menaced the
early Christians, who had to be constantly apprehensive, as a hare
is of the hunters.
A phœnix; naturally figuring the Resurrection.
A peacock. This has a similar meaning, for the peacock, Juno’s
bird, had been used by the Romans as an emblem of the apotheosis
of an empress.
A cock, as awakener of grace, and typical of the awakening of
mankind to the true faith.
A serpent. This may seem strange as a Christian symbol, but it
denotes foresight, and recalls the Gospel monition, “Be ye wise as
serpents and harmless as doves.” A Christian gem evidences this
interpretation, for on either side of the serpent is figured a
dove.
The vine; suggested by the words of Christ: “I am the vine and ye
are the branches.”
A blade of wheat. The harvest of souls?
The symbolic design of a ship traversing the sea was used in early
Christian funeral sculptures, and also in pagan Rome, to denote the
course of life. For the Christians the tempest-tossed vessel of life
found its port and resting place in death. This idea is rudely figured
in a design on a sepulchral stone, in memory of a certain Firmia
Victoria, from one of the early Christian cemeteries of Rome. On it
appears a ship riding the waves, and in the background a four-storied
tower from which rises a flame, the lighthouse marking the final port
toward which the vessel bends its course.[406]
Of the few designs engraved upon Græco-Roman rings which were permitted
to the early Christians, the dove, as has been noted, symbolized the
Holy Spirit; a fish became a Christian symbol because the Greek word
for fish (_ichthus_) gave the initial letters of Iesus Christos,
Theou huios, Soter (Jesus Christ, The Son of God, the Saviour). An
anchor, or the representation of a fisherman, recalls to mind the
Fisherman’s Ring of the Roman pontiff.
The fish symbol appears on an engraved Gnostic gem bearing the head
of Christ surrounded with the Greek letters of his name. This offers
one of the types current in the third and fourth Christian centuries.
We have the testimony of St. Augustine that the diversity of types in
his time was very great, and that no record remained of what Christ’s
physical appearance really was.[407] The oldest portrait is believed
to be that on the ceiling of a chapel in the cemetery of St. Calixtus
at Rome, and the type presented here is that which has persisted
essentially to the present day.
The ring of the Christian martyr Saturus was a precious memorial of his
death for the faith. When he had already received his death-blow, he
took off his ring and moistening it with the blood that was flowing
from his wound, handed it to the Roman soldier, Pudeus, who was present
at his death, but was a secret convert to the Christian faith, charging
the soldier to guard it as a heritage and a reminder that true faith
was rather confirmed than weakened by the martyr’s death.[408]
A tender and beautiful allusion to a religious ring is contained in the
account of the life and death of St. Marcina the Younger (ca. 330–379
A.D.), by her brother St. Gregory Nyassa. When, after the
death of this pious daughter of Basil the Great, her body was being
prepared for burial, there was found, suspended by a cord from her
neck and resting just over her heart, an iron ring. On its chaton was
engraved a cross, and in a hollow space beneath was secreted a small
fragment of the True Cross. This ring the brother removed, declaring
that it should be his precious heritage, the more sacred that it
recalled the cross of Christ, not only by its engraved design, but
still more by the priceless memento placed beneath this.[409]
An antique ivory ring found at Arles in France bears inscriptions
denoting that it had been designed for use as a Gnostic amulet,
and illustrating the peculiar eclecticism of Gnostic belief. The
monogram of Christ appears here between the two Greek letters Α and Ω,
symbolizing the beginning and the end[410]; added to this is the name
ABRAΣAX (Abrasax, Abraxas), the favorite designation of the Creative
Energy among the Gnostics.[411]
A Christian talismanic ring in the British Museum is set with a red
jasper upon which is engraved, in Greek characters: IHCOYC OEOY
YIOC THPE, “Jesus son of God, preserve (me).”[412] To jasper
at all times has been accorded a high rank among talismanic stones,
more especially to the green and red varieties, the latter being
particularly favored where protection was sought against death from
wounds or hemorrhage.
Oriental Christian rings include many unusual types. The British Museum
has one of gold, with engraved and nielloed ornament; on the flat
octagonal hoop is depicted the Annunciation, in the rigid, hieratic
style of Byzantine art. The Virgin is seated on a high-backed chair;
before her stands the archangel Gabriel. The hoop bears as inscription
the first words of the angel’s greeting, in Greek characters Χἄιρε
κεχαριτωμένη ό Κύριος μετἀ σὸυ (Luke i, 28: “Hail thou that art highly
favoured, the Lord is with thee.”). This ring is believed to belong to
the seventh century A.D., and is a very characteristic example
of the type.[413]
Three Merovingian rings found in August, 1885, on the skeleton finger
of a woman, at Aigusy, dept. Aisne, offer proof that in this period
many rings were sometimes worn on a single finger. The upper and lower
are plain silver rings, but the central one, of bronze, has a circular
bezel on which is engraved a cross, with, at its angles, the nails of
the Passion. Another ring, from the same locality, with a cross of
simpler form engraved on the chaton was found attached to a chain. Both
ring and chain are of bronze, the ring, presumably a signet, having
been worn suspended by the owner, instead of on the hand. A silver ring
from the same French department, bears the Latin inscription V I
V A S, and in six compartments the following symbolic figures: a
dove holding a branch; a lamb, above which is a star; an upright palm;
a stag; a fantastic animal figure, and a hare. These symbols, most of
which are characteristically Christian, and the Latin invocation “mayst
thou live,” _vivas_, usually followed by the words “in Deo” (in
God), point clearly to the religious faith of the owner of the ring. It
is true that the presence of a gold solidus of Valentinian II (375–392)
in the mouth of the deceased person, as “Charon’s toll,” might be
thought to indicate that we had here to do with a pagan, were it not
well known that this custom was maintained to some extent after the
decisive triumph of Christianity.[414]
According to Mercato a toadstone set in a silver ring was preserved
in the Monastery of Saint Anne in Rome. The popular belief was that
this ring had belonged to the Virgin Mary, and it was considered to
be a cure for fistulas, if the stone were rubbed around them twelve
times.[415]
The ring known as the betrothal ring of the Virgin Mary, now in
the cathedral of Perugia, has had a long and eventful history. The
following details are taken from a monograph written by Abbot Adamo
Rossi. According to the legend, this ring was given by Mary to St.
John, the “beloved disciple,” and was taken by him to Rome in 95
A.D. Here it seems to have come into the possession of the
Romans, and about 275 A.D. it was in the hands of Mostiola, a
cousin of Marcus Aurelius Claudius, and a convert to Christianity. In
the reign of Aurelian began what was known as the eighth persecution of
the Christians, and Mostiola was obliged to flee from Rome. She sought
refuge in Clusium, the ancient capital of the Etruscans, the Chuisi of
a later time, but she was seized by the Roman authorities and died a
martyr’s death. In the eighth century a church was erected at the spot
where she was buried and the ring was guarded therein as a precious
relic.
About the middle of the thirteenth century this ring was transferred,
for greater security, from the Church of St. Mostiola, which lay
outside the city, to the cathedral, where it was seen, April 17, 1355,
by Emperor Charles IV, on his return from his coronation. In 1420, by
order of the bishop, the ring was taken to the Church of St. Francesco.
There was a belief that a mysterious virtue emanated from it which
acted miraculously upon the sight of those who gazed upon it. Learning
of this, Filippo Maria, Duke of Milan, who suffered from a disease of
the eye, requested, in 1445, that the ring might be brought to him.
Although Pope Eugene IV supported his request, the historian inclines
to the belief that nothing came of the matter, _for the Duke became
completely blind a year later_.
Among the Franciscan friars who had the care of the ring was a certain
“Fra Vinterio” (Winter), called “the German,” from the land of his
birth. Possibly because he was a foreigner, he became an object of
dislike, and upon the occurrence of a robbery of some articles of
value, his fellow monks eagerly seized upon the occasion to fix
the guilt upon the unfortunate Winter. He was cast into prison and
subjected to the most cruel tortures, but as no avowal could be
wrung from him, he was finally released and resumed his life in the
community. However, although outwardly calm, the cruelties to which
he had been subjected burned into his soul, and aroused thoughts of
vengeance. He could think of but one way to punish his tormentors
effectively, and that was by taking away the precious ring. If this
were lost, the Chiusans would place the blame upon its careless
guardians and would perhaps drive them from the city. Winter succeeded
in taking wax impressions of the keys of the chamber where the ring
was kept and of the case wherein it lay. He had duplicate keys made
from these impressions, and, on the night of July 23, 1473, he secured
possession of the ring. Of course he was no longer safe in Chiusi and
he made all haste to Perugia, where he determined to rid himself of
his treasure and curry favor with the Perugians by conferring it upon
them. His offer was accepted without hesitation, and when the Chiusans
energetically demanded the return of the ring, the Perugians refused
compliance.
The matter was brought before the Roman court and was the subject of
prolonged controversy. For a time it seemed as though resort would be
had to arms, but finally, in 1486, a decision was reached to the effect
that the ring should remain in Perugia. Here it has been preserved ever
since, and many wonderful stories are told of its miraculous virtue.
In seasons of prolonged drought and also when the land was deluged by
superabundant rains, the betrothal ring of the Virgin was solemnly
borne from the chapel of St. Joseph, where it was kept, to the high
altar, and the result was always fortunate.
Whatever may be thought of the credibility of the legend, there can be
no question that this ring is one of the most highly prized relics.
It is of chalcedony, and its form seems to indicate that it was at one
time set with a precious stone. On only four days in the year, March
19, the second Sunday in July, July 30, and August 2, can this unique
ring be seen by the public.
The betrothal ring of the Virgin is in the Capella del Santo Anello,
in the left aisle of the Cathedral, where the celebrated painting
by Perugino, the Spozalizio, now at Caen in Normandy, was preserved
until 1797, when it was taken off by the French invaders. The ornate
tabernaculum was executed by the goldsmith Cesarino del Roscetto in
1519.
The espousal ring of St. Anne, mother of the Virgin Mary, was preserved
in the monastery of St. Sylvester, at Rome. It is of unwrought silver,
with a clear crystal set in the middle, surrounded by black spots and
opaque at the back, so that it reflects images, just as does a mirror.
On the festival of the betrothal of St. Anne, the eyes of those whose
sight was weak were touched with the ring.[416] The curative results
of this application were doubtless all that could be desired, more
especially as weak sight is often caused by nervous depression, or
nervous derangements.
The body of St. Caius, martyred in 296 A.D., was exhumed from
the Cemetery of Calixtus, in Rome, on the anniversary of the sainted
pope’s birth, April 21, 1622, in the reign of Pope Gregory XV. Within
the sepulchre were found three coins of Diocletian, in whose reign St.
Caius (283–296 A.D.) received the papal crown, and also the
pope’s ring, probably his signet, although no exact description of it
has reached us.[417] In the succeeding century there is notice of
another ecclesiastical signet-ring, for in a letter of St. Augustine
(354–430) to Victorinus, the Church Father concludes with the words: “I
have sent this epistle sealed with a ring which shows the profile-head
of a man.”[418] As in the case of all the very early bishops’ rings,
this one of St. Augustine was merely his personal signet and had no
direct connection with his sacred office.
A massive ring of Pope Pius II (Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, 1457–1464)
has on the sides of the hoop the coats-of-arms of the Piccolomini and
Tiara families; below the bezel are figures symbolical of the Four
Evangelists. This interesting papal ring is in the collection of Dr.
Albert Figdor, Vienna.[419]
The “Fisherman’s Ring,” or Annulus Piscatoris, is the gold seal ring
of the pope, a new one being made for each successive pontiff. As
testified to by early records, the custom of breaking the ring on the
death of a pope has long obtained. After the attending physicians
have pronounced him to be dead, the Cardinal Camerlengo, or Papal
Chamberlain, approaches the body, and taps it thrice with a golden
hammer, each time calling on the pope by name. The ring is then
handed by him to the papal master of ceremonies, who breaks it; he is
permitted, or perhaps required, to keep the fragments. The design on
the seal depicts St. Peter seated in a bark and holding a net in each
hand, the name of the reigning pope being inscribed above. The ring
takes its name from the words of Christ to Peter, after the latter made
the miraculous draught of fishes (Luke, v, 10): “From henceforth thou
shalt catch men.” In Mark i, 17, a similar announcement is made to
both Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew: “Come ye after me, and I
will make you to become fishers of men.”
[Illustration: FIVE VIEWS OF THE RING OF POPE PIUS II (ÆNEAS
SYLVIUS PICCOLOMINI, 1457–1464)
On the sides of the hoop are the coats-of-arms of the Piccolomini
and Tiara families, and below the bezel are figures symbolical of
the Four Evangelists
Albert Figdor Collection, Vienna]
[Illustration: “Ring of the fisherman”
Fairholt’s “Rambles of an Artist”]
[Illustration: Hand of “Judith” from picture by Lucas Cranach:
Rings beneath glove-fingers slit to give them room]
[Illustration: Impression of the Annulus Piscatoris (Ring of the
Fisherman) of Pope Clement VIII (1592–1605)
Archæologia, vol. xl, p. 140]
The ring is broken to prevent the sealing of any pontifical document
during the vacancy of the papal see. When the army of the French
Republic occupied Rome in 1798, the Republican emissary Haller, after
informing Pius VI that he would be taken from Rome, demanded all his
papal rings. After surrendering the others, the pope pleaded that he
might be allowed to keep the Fisherman’s Ring, but as the Frenchman
sternly insisted that this also must be given up, the pope reluctantly
yielded. However, when on examination, the ring was found to be of
small value, it was restored to the pontiff.
The earliest existing mention of the Fisherman’s Ring seems to be in
a letter addressed by Pope Clement IV, in 1265, to his nephew Pietro
Grossi of St. Gilles, in which he states that in addressing members of
his family he used the Sigillum Piscatoris, the _private_ seal
of the popes.[420] It was not until the fifteenth century that this
originally private seal came to be generally used for the papal Briefs.
An impression of the Fisherman’s Ring of Clement VIII made in 1598, in
the sixth year of the pope’s reign, is surrounded with a bit of twisted
vellum. A comparison of this seal with the one used by Pius IX, shows
the modifications of the established design due to the preferences of
the engravers of successive rings. The ring of Pius IX was of plain
gold, weighing about an ounce and a half, the design was engraved on an
oval plate. It is said to have been made out of the gold constituting
the Fisherman’s Ring of his predecessor, Gregory XVI.[421]
It is thought probable that the custom of breaking the Fisherman’s
Ring on the demise of a pope was first instituted at the death of Leo
X in 1521. The papal engravers are believed to have kept a new ring
ready in case of sudden need, leaving a blank space for the new pope’s
name. When his election has been confirmed, the Cardinal Camerlengo
places the ring on his hand, asking him at the same time by what name
he elects to be called. The ring is then removed and given to the
engraver for the addition of this name. In later times it has been kept
permanently in the guardianship of the Cardinal Chamberlain, and has
not been generally used for stamping documents, an iron die of like
design being employed for this purpose.
In at least one instance this ring was not destroyed at a pope’s
death. When Pius VI expired at Valence, Aug. 29, 1799, his Fisherman’s
Ring was left unbroken and, with a new inscription, served for his
successor, Pius VII. When this latter pope fell into disgrace with
Napoleon in 1809, because he refused to nullify the marriage of Jerome,
Napoleon’s brother, to Miss Patterson, he was carried off from Rome
to France, and obliged to surrender his Annulus Piscatoris to General
Radet. Before relinquishing it, however, he took the precaution of
having it cut down the middle. Later when he was restored to the Roman
See, a substitute ring was made, as the original, given back by Louis
XVIII after Napoleon’s downfall, could no longer be used because of its
mutilation.[422]
Besides the Fisherman’s Ring, the popes now have two others, the papal
ring which they habitually wear, and the pontifical ring, which is
only assumed for the pontifical ceremonies. The pontifical ring of
Pius IX was worth more than $6,000. It is of gold, of remarkably fine
workmanship, and is set with a magnificent oblong brilliant. This ring
could be made smaller or larger at will, so that it might serve for
future popes.[423]
By a special privilege the ring ordinarily worn by a pope may bear a
cameo, that usually worn by Pius IX showed an image of the Virgin Mary.
The Fisherman’s Ring is but rarely worn. When after a pope’s death,
the ring has been broken, as we have noted, a cheap facsimile, or the
broken ring, is sometimes buried with the pope.[424]
Of the three main classes of ecclesiastical rings, the pontifical ring
with its single precious stone, worn over a glove and exclusively
at pontifical ceremonies, is so large that its stone setting covers
the first phalanx of the fourth finger of the right hand, on which
it is worn. The “gemmed ring,” a mark of distinction, may have but
one stone, or a central stone surrounded by brilliants, just as the
regulations provide. A third class of ecclesiastical rings are those
of plain gold, commonly with a smooth chaton; sometimes, however, this
may be engraved with armorial bearings, so that the ring can be used
as a signet. In Rome those who have received the degree of doctor of
divinity have the word ~ROMA~ engraved upon the chaton of
the ring.[425]