Chapter XII: Part III

TEACHING OF THE INSCRIPTIONS AND CARVINGS
ON THE TOMBS

I

EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS--THEIR SIMPLICITY

Uncounted numbers of graves in this silent city of the
dead; computed at three, four, or five millions--belonging
to all ranks--Some of these were elaborately adorned--Greek
often the language of very early epitaphs--Great simplicity
as a rule in inscriptions--No panegyric of dead--just a
name--a prayer--an emblem of faith and hope--Communion of
saints everywhere asserted 307

II

EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS CONTRASTED WITH PAGAN
INSCRIPTIONS

A few of these epitaphs quoted--never a word of sorrow for
the departed found in them--Question of the catacomb teaching
on efficacy of prayers of the dead for the living--S. Cyprian
quoted here--Desire of being interred close to a famous
martyr--Marked difference in the pagan conception of the
dead--Some pagan epitaphs quoted 310

III

EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS--THEIR DOGMATIC TEACHING

The epitaphs on the catacomb graves tell us with no
uncertain voice how intensely real among the Christian
folk was the conviction of the future life--They talk, as
it were, with the dead as with living ones--Dogmatic
allusions in these short epitaphs necessarily are very
brief, but yet are quite definite--The supreme divinity of
Jesus Christ constantly asserted--The catacombs are full
of Christ--Of the emblems carved on the graves--Jesus
Christ as “the Good Shepherd” most frequent--The
“Crucifixion” became a favourite subject of representation
only in later years 314

APPENDIX

On the wish to be interred close to a saint or
martyr--Quotation from S. Augustine here 321