OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE 209 the Vatican and the Ostian road were distinguished by the tombs, or rather by the trophies, of those spiritual heroes. ^ In the age which followed the conversion of Constantine, the emperors, the consuls, and the generals of armies devoutly visited the sepulchres of a tent-maker and a fisherman ; " and their venerable bones were deposited under the altars of Christ, on which the bishops of the royal city continually offered the unbloody sacrifice."^ The new capital of the eastern world, unable to produce any ancient and domestic trophies, was en- riched by the spoils of dependent provinces. The bodies of St. Andrew, St. Luke, and St. Timothy, had reposed, near three hun- dred years, in the obscure graves from whence they were sent, in solemn pomp, to the church of the Apostles, which the magnifi- cence of Constantine had founded on the banks of the Thracian Bosphorus."^ About fifty years afterwards, the same banks were honoured by the presence of Samuel, the judge and prophet of the people of Israel. His ashes, deposited in a golden vase and covered with a silken veil, were delivered by the bishops into each other's hands. The relics of Samuel were received by the people with the same joy and reverence which they would have shown to the living prophet ; the highways, from Palestine to the gates of Constantinople, were filled with an uninterrupted procession ; and the emperor Ai'cadius himself at the head of the most illustrious members of the clergy and senate, advanced to meet his extraordinary guest, who had always deserved and claimed the homage of kings. ^•^ The example of Rome and Constantinople confirmed the faith and discipline of the Catholic world. The honours of the saints and martyrs, after a feeble and ineffectual miunnur of profane ■^6 Caius (apud Euseb. Hist. Eccles. 1. ii. c. 25), a Roman presbyter, who lived in the time of Zephyrinus (A.D. 202-219), is an early witness of this superstitious practice. " Chrj'sostom. Quod Christus sit Deus. Tom. i. nov. edit. No 9. I am in- debted for this quotation to Benedict the XlV.th's pastoral letter on the jubilee of the year 1750. See the curious and entertaining letters of M. Chais, torn. iii. "^8 Male facit ergo Romanus episcopus? qui, super mortuorum hominum, Petri et Pauli, secundum nos, ossa veneranda . . . offert Domino sacrificia, et tumulos eorum Christi arbitratur altaria. Jerom. torn, ii advers. Vigilant, p. 153 [c. 8, ed. Migne, ii. p. 346]. 79 Jerom (tom. ii. p. 122 [c. Vigil, c.5]) bears witness to these translations, which are neglected by the ecclesiastical historians. The passion of St. Andrew at Patrse is described in an epistle from the clergy of Achaia, which Baronius (Annal. Eccles. A.D. 60, No. 35) wishes to believe and Tillemont is forced to reject. St. Andrew was adopted as the spiritual founder of Constantinople (M6m. Ecclfe. tom. i. p. 317-323, 588-594). 80 Jferom (torn. ii. p. 122) pompously describes the translation of Samuel, which b noticed in the chronicles of the times. VOL. III. 14
