Chapter II: Part I: Chapter I

ORIGIN OF THE CATACOMBS.

St. Jerome’s description of the Catacombs—More detailed
description of their galleries, chambers, and tombs; their
depth, extent, and number—They were not deserted sandpits
or quarries, but made expressly to be places of burial for
Christians—This shown to have been rendered easy by the
Roman laws and practice about burial—Pagan burial-clubs in
Rome—Perfect freedom and safety of the Christian cemeteries in
the beginning 1

CHAPTER II.

THEIR HISTORY DURING THE AGES OF PERSECUTION.

Earliest places of Christian worship in Rome—Their position
before the law—Edict of Valerian against assemblies in
the Catacombs—Disobedience and consequent martyrdom of
St. Sixtus—Extension of the Catacombs—Changes in their
architectural forms—The _fossors_ and their clerical
character—Stories of martyrs belonging to this period—St.
Hippolytus and others—SS. Chrysanthus and Daria—St.
Tharsicius—St. Agnes and St. Emerentiana 26

CHAPTER III.

THEIR HISTORY FROM A.D. 310 TO A.D. 850.

Gradual disuse of burial in the Catacombs—Other cemeteries not
subterranean—Purchase of graves, especially near the tombs
of saints—Basilicas built over some of these—Work of Pope
Damasus and of Furius Dionysius Filocalus—Burials ceased in the
Catacombs in 410—Injuries inflicted by the Goths—Restorations
by subsequent Popes—Fresh injuries by the Lombards—Consequent
translations of the bodies of the Saints, and gradual neglect
of the Catacombs—Those only were visited to which churches
or monasteries were attached, especially the cemetery _ad
Catacumbas_, which has now given its name to the rest 41

CHAPTER IV.

THEIR LOSS AND RECOVERY.

Catacombs lost sight of for 700 years, accidentally recovered
in 1578—Labours and scientific method of Bosio imperfectly
followed by his successors—Revival of interest in the subject
through Father Marchi, S.J.—Commendatore G. B. de Rossi 51