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Catacomb is a medieval word, and is said by some authorities to be
derived from the Greek words κατὰ, under, and κύμβος, a hollow. The
Romans called these burial-places cemeteries. They generally consist
of three strata of tufa: _litoide_, of a red conglomeration, hard,
used for building; _pozzolana pura_, a friable sand, for mortar;
and _granolare_, harder, but easily cut, of which the catacombs
were almost exclusively made.
A catacomb consists of passages or long narrow galleries cut with
regularity, so that the roof and floor are at right angles to the
sides, running quite straight, but crossed by others, and these again
by others, forming a complete labyrinth of subterranean
corridors,--the sides are honeycombed with graves. Their narrowness
was to economize space, and to make the most of the limited area.
These corridors, themselves the cemetery, lead into different
chambers. Rome is surrounded by about sixty of these catacombs, each
taking its name from the saint that reposed there.
The catacombs began to be formed at the beginning of the third century
A.D., and originated from a pagan tomb. We find no exception to this
in the early catacombs. Just inside the gate is a pagan tomb, second
century, from which a flight of steps leads into the catacomb. This
tomb belonged to the family, and when it was filled, instead of
building a new tomb or buying another site, they dug down and made
another chamber in the tufa rock below, and so on. In the course of
time the proprietor became a Christian, and probably left his property
to the Church. The tomb became popular, and it was enlarged gradually;
the passages serving for the poor, and the chambers for the family
tombs, which were paid for. They were lighted by means of shafts,
which still exist; and there was no concealment--they were the public
recognized burial-places, and when Christianity was the nominal
religion of the state, pagans and Christians were both buried here. We
find pagan inscriptions, emblems (other than those adopted by the
Christians), and pagan family tombs. The pagan frescoes are much
better works of art than the Christian; for the Christians had to be
educated, whilst the pagans already knew. Early Christian frescoes are
very rude daubs (see those of Jonah), and they gradually advanced till
the ninth century, when we have the Byzantine school (see S. Cecilia).
This latter style was used for the pilgrims after the bodies, all
looked upon as martyrs, were removed to the churches in Rome; which
gave rise to the story that the catacombs lead to Rome, which is not
true. Neither is it correct that the catacombs were old quarries used
up by the Christians, though there was often an entrance into them
from a quarry. Most of the inscriptions are in the Vatican and
Lateran: they would be far more interesting where they were found.
_N.B._--The air is pure; the vaults are dry, and they are not cold.
The entrance is near the ancient church in which Pope Damasus, who
died A.D. 384, was buried. Descending the steps we enter the
vestibule, the walls of which are covered with the names of pilgrims;
a narrow gallery conducts us to the Chapel of the Bishops--Lucius,
A.D. 232; Anterus, A.D. 235; Fabianus, A.D. 236; Eutychianus, A.D.
275. Following the names of Lucius and Fabianus are the words, "Epis,
martyr." Urbanus, A.D. 223, and Sixtus, A.D. 258, were both buried
here. In front of the grave of the latter is the inscription put up by
Damasus, engraved in beautiful characters:--