CHRISTIAN
708
CHRISTIAN
pensable for the study of the monuments is the
Bible. Christian art from the first century was in-
spired by the Sacred Scriptures. After this primary
source, the Acts of the Martyrs, Christian liturgies,
certain liturgical prayers, particularly those relative
to death, Church calendars, the so-called Pontifical
Books, especially the famous Roman " Liber Pontifi-
calis " (q. v.), ancient missals and sacramentaries,
and in general all Christian literature, till well on in
medieval times, have proved invaluable aids in the
interpretation of the monuments. Especially useful
were the medieval pilgrims' itineraries, the Baedekers
of their time, because of the indications they contain
relative to the topography of the ancient subter-
ranean cemeteries of Christian Rome.
III. Character of the Earliest Monuments. Principal Results of Christian Arch.eologicai, Investigations. — The principal monuments of the earliest Christian ages have been found in the sub- terranean cemeteries of Rome. The oldest portions of several of these cemeteries date from the first century of the Christian Era, so that, within their range, whatever information they supply bears the stamp of the Apostolic Age. The fact that these monuments are of a sepulchral character must always be borne in mind. No one would expect to find in the inscriptions and sculptures of a modern Catholic cemetery a complete exposition of Catholic theology; neither should such an exposition of dogma be looked for in the inscriptions and frescoes of the catacombs. Any information we might reasonably expect, therefore, from sepulchral monuments should have some relation to the ideas concerning death that were uppermost in the minds of those who erected them. Within this range, and to a certain extent beyond it, the monuments are perfectly clear. The inscriptions and paintings of the cata- combs, as well as the sculptured sarcophagi of the fourth and subsequent centuries, exhibit in the most unequivocal manner the beliefs of their authors on the momentous question of existence beyond the grave.
IV. Inscriptions. — The earliest Christian in- scriptions are simple in the extreme: they barely mention the name of the deceased, with a brief prayer for his soul — "Regina, mayest thou live in the Lord Jesus", "Peace be with you", "In peace", "In God". By the third century these formulae had developed so far as to express belief in the Trinity and the communion of saints ; the Sacrament of Baptism is implicitly alluded to in the mention of neophytes, and in such inscriptions as "Fidem ac- cepit", "post susceptionem suam" (he received the Faith, after his reception); the Eucharist in the two famous epitaphs of Abercius of Hieropolis (q. v.) and Pectorius of Autun. The three highest orders of the hierarchy, and several of the minor orders, are also mentioned, as well as consecrated virgins and widows; frequent reference is, of course, made to the lay members of the community. Still more in- teresting, perhaps, are the deductions which may legitimately be drawn from certain peculiarities of these very early Christian memorials. The equality of all before God, for example, is taught by the elo- quent silence of the epitaphs as to the worldly rank or titles of the deceased. Allusions to slaves and freedmen, so common in contemporary pagan in- scriptions are found in only a few instances on Christian epitaphs, and then in the kindliest manner. Even more remarkable, in an age when persecution was ever imminent, is the silence of Christian in- scriptions on that subject. No thought was given to the persecutors; the attention of the followers of Christ was wholly absorbed by the world beyond the tomb. And with regard to this better world they entertained a perfect confidence; the very name of cemetery given by them to their last rest ing-
place {itotij.T)T-r)pLov, dormitorium, "a sleeping-place")
reveals their confidence in the promises of the
Saviour. The metrical inscriptions erected in the
latter part of the fourth century by Pope Damasus
(366-384) manifest the great veneration in which
the martyrs were then held, and at the same time
supply valuable data as to their history.
V. Paintings. — Following the custom then in vogue of decorating the tombs of deceased friends, the Christians of Rome, from the first century, began to adorn with frescoes the burial chambers of the catacombs. The catacombs were, therefore, "the cradle of Christian art". Although some of the early Christian writers looked upon artistic productions with suspicion, the Roman Church never seems to have had any misgivings in this regard. Art in itself was indifferent; why not adopt and purify it? This was precisely what was done. Even in the oldest paintings of the catacombs, which date from the end of the first century, the process of purification has already begun. The pictorial ornamentation of the Acilian and Flavian family tombs, which belongs to this period, though chiefly decorative in character, like that of contemporary pagan tombs, is yet wholly free from idolatrous or indelicate motifs. The foundations of a specifically Christian art were also laid in the first century, in a few frescoes representing Daniel in the lions' den, Noe in the ark, and the Good Shepherd. All of these subjects were symbols, and symbolism (q. v.) was the special characteristic of Christian art down to the fourth century. The source of inspiration of the symbolic paintings of the catacombs was the Bible. In se- lecting their subjects from the Sacred Writings the artists, or those who directed their operations, did not proceed at random, but followed certain definite regulations. These regulations were suggested by the fact that the frescoes were to form a sepulchral ornamentation. The dominant idea, therefore, in making a selection of subjects was that the latter, according to the views prevailing among Christians, should be adaptable, as symbols, to the condition after death of those on whose tombs they were to be erected. The funeral liturgies, consequently, prayers for the dying, and invocations of like tenor, served as guides in the choice of symbols. Thus, for example, in the Litany for a Soul Departing, still in use, we have the invocation "Deliver, O Lord, the soul of Thy servant, as Thou didst deliver Daniel from the den of the lions". The figure of Daniel standing between the two lions, so frequently de- picted in the catacombs, is an early pictured form of this prayer. The cycles of sacred representa- tions of the catacombs were, therefore, selected be- cause of their appropriateness to the condition of the Christian soul after death. From the point of view of doctrine and discipline, many of them are of the greatest importance. For instance, with regard to the sacraments, the cycle of frescoes relative to baptism, some of which date from the early second century, show clearly that baptism was administered by affusion; while several of the cycle referring to the Eucharist indicate quite plainly a belief in the sacrificial character of the Mass. In numerous frescoes belief in the divinity of Christ is manifested; and the prominent place occupied by the Blessed Virgin in the thoughts of the Christians of the first three centuries is apparent in the many representations of Mary (the most ancient belongs to the first half of the second century), with the Infant Saviour in her arms. The gradual develop- ment of the idea of Mary's important place in the scheme of redemption is ascertained by comparison of the earlier with the later frescoes of the Mother and Child; a painting of the latter half of the third century in the catacomb of St. Priscilla represents her in the character of model for a virgin taking the
