Chapter 19. The Appian Way from the Fourth Century to the Ninth

After having proved the authenticity of the accounts transmitted to us respecting the virtues and combats of St. Cecilia, we must now collect the testimonies of love and veneration which, throughout the course of ages, have been offered to her memory by the faithful in every part of Christendom. We have already mentioned Cecilia's dying wish that her palace should be converted into a church. St. Urban fulfilled this pious desire, and the Basilica of St. Cecilia became one fo the most venerated sanctuaries of Christian Rome. It is time to recommence our pilgrimage through the Appian Way, that we may seek some traces of our heroine, whose body reposed there for several centuries. Our first visit to this celebrated Way was in the time of Alexander Severus ; we shall glance at the Christian memorials with which it has been enriched since that period. We shall pass over the profane monuments doomed to be destroyed by the ravages of time, or the hands of barbarians, and devote all our attention to the Martyrs' tombs. The Capena gate no longer exists, Aurelian having extended the limits of Eome a mile further upon the Appian Way. The subterraneous cemeteries between the old and the new gate have been abandoned for those of Callistus and Pretextatus, the galleries of which commenced before the second mile. The most illustrious Martyrs have been buried here. We will examine their tombs with the assistance of the very incomplete guidebooks, the first of which dates from the seventh century, the Acts of the Martyrs, and other documents.

After having traversed the memorable place where our Saviour met the Prince of the Apostles, still ascending the acclivity, we shall find to the right the cemetery of Callistus, the descents into which are marked by small churches with three or four arches. These Churches ordinarily bear the name of some Martyr, and each one opens upon a staircase which gives entrance to that part of the Catacombs where its Patron is buried. These edifices, which are very similar to many of the Pagan tombs upon the Appian Way, were erected during intervals of peace, and the Eoman Pontiffs have piously watched over their preservation. They are adorned with votive inscriptions in honor of the Martyrs; other inscriptions were placed in the crypts near the tombs of the Saints. Pope St. Damasus composed many of them, expressing the combats of the Martyrs, and his own humble devotion to them.

The first church we meet upon the cemetery of

Callistus, is that of the holy Virgin Sotera,* who

• See the guide-books Salisburgense, Einsidlense, Malmessuffered in the persecution of Diocletian. This edifice forms the entrance to the Martyr's tomb, which St. Ambrose certifies belonged to her family.*

As we proceed towards the right, the Church of St. Cornelius meets our eyes; a marble staircase which has been recently discovered, with the remnants of the Damasian inscription, conducts to the cubiculum which contains the remains of the glorious Pontiff. The great Bishop of Carthage, St. Cyprian, is also honored in this place, although his body never reposed there.f

On the same side, farther on, is the Church called ad Sanctam Caeciliam, also named ad Sanctum Sixturn, because it gives entrance to the crypt, where the Virgin Cecilia and Pope Sixtus II. are buried. In this crypt, destined to receive the bodies of the Pontiffs, St. Urban buried St. Cecilia. It also contains the remains of St. Zephyrinus, who was buried by St. CallistusJ upon the upper story ; Pontianus, the successor of St. Urban, whose body was transported from the island where he had been exiled ; Anterus, celebrated for his zeal in preserving to posterity the memory of the Martyrs ; Fabian, whose Pontificate was decided by the flight of a dove ; Lucius^ who so promptly culled the palm of martyrdom and whom we shall see later associated in Cecilia's triumph ;

buriense, and the Papyrus of Monza. We leave the honor of commenting upon these monuments to M. le Chevalier de Rossi/ who has our best wishes for the publication of his Codex topographicus urbis Romce.

• S. Ambros. de Virginibus, lib. iii. cap. vii. n° 38.

t Itiner. Salisburg. Einsidlen. Malmesbur.

\ Salisburgense.

Stephen, who defended the tradition of baptism against the Africans, and was assassinated in his episcopal chair ; Sixtus II, whose martyrdom preceded by three days that of his Archdeacon, Lawrence, and who shares with Cecilia the honor of giving his name to this region of the Callistus Cemetery ; Dionysius, who received from another Dionysius, Patriarch of Alexandria, a confession of his faith ; Eutychian, of whom we know little but his martyrdom ; Eusebius, who notwithstanding his short Pontificate, left many proofs of sanctity ; and finally, Melchiades, who had the happiness of seeing peace dawn upon the Church.*

Among this illustrious band, Cecilia sleeps her glorious sleep. Near her, repose Tharsicius, an acolyte of the Eoman Church, who had the honor of lying in the same tomb with Zephyrinus ;+ Calocerus and Parthenius, officers of the court of Decius4 Finally, in a lower gallery, twenty-four other Martyrs whose names are not mentioned upon the monuments of the VII. century, from which we borrow this description, form as it were the Virgin's guard of honor.§ In later years, so great was the veneration for Cecilia's tomb that the region which bore her name, was enlarged, and the Martyrologies of Bede, Adon, and Usuard, mention nine hundred Martyrs buried ad Sanctam Caeciliam.||

As we have before remarked, this part of the cemetery of Callistus also bore the name of Sixtus ; but the Church, through which the crypts were

• Itiner. Salisburg. Malmeshuriense.

f Salisburgense. t Ibid. § Ibid.

II See also the Roman Martyrology of 4th of March, Page 191.

entered, was called after Cecilia.* The martyrs we have enumerated, were not all buried in the same cubiculum. Popes Fabian, Sixtus II, and Dionysius, were the only ones interred near St. Cecilia. The subterranean corridors branched out in every direction, and, at certain distances, other sepulchral chambers were excavated for the Pontiffs and principal Martyrs.

Cecilia's tomb was towards the south, rather far from the Church above mentioned, and situated on a corridor which joined the galleries under the Church of St. Sebastian. It was a cell, shaped like a square oven, lined with four marble panels. This sepulchre, the form of which is unusual in the Catacombs, was rather high, being built near the arched roof of the corridor ; it was closed by a small marble tablet which concealed the cypress coffin containing the remains of St. Cecilia. The absence of the decorations so profusely lavished upon other sepulchres of the Catacombs, joined to the mysterious character of this one, easily account for all traces of it being lost when the faithful of Eome ceased to frequent the Catacombs. Saint Damasus, as we have previously stated, wrote inscriptions in verse for the principal sepulchres of the Martyrs. The greater number of those referring to the tombs we have enumerated, have been destroyed ; those only remain which relate to the holy Popes Stephen and Eusebius, and to the acolyte Tharsicius. Fragments of the Damasian inscription, consecrated to Pope St. Cornelius, have been lately found. It is more than probable that St. Damasus * Malmesburiense.

dedicated a special inscription to St. Cecilia, as that virgin occupied too distinguished a place in the Appian Way, not to have obtained such an honor ; we shall soon relate under what circumstances this precious marble must have disappeared, and how Divine Providence made use of the hands of barbarians to preserve for Christian Borne one of her greatest treasures.

The Pontiff, who had been so zealous in preserving the Memoirs of the Martyrs, erecting in all parts of the Catacombs, magnificent epitaphs, many of which are still in existence, had a special devotion to the band of martyrs buried upon the Appian Way, near Sts. Sixtus and Cecilia. Although he reigned during the time of peace, he might have arrogated to himself a resting-place in the Crypts containing so many heroes, but his humility prevented his aspiring to such an honor. Not far from the church ad Sanctam Cseciliam, but more to the right, and nearer the Ardeatine Way, which is parallel to the Appian, he caused another Basilica to be built, giving access to the sacred cemetery whose repose he had not ventured to disturb ; it was called the Church of Damasus. It was there that he buried his mother and sister; and there, also, that, after eighteen years of a brilliant and laborious pontificate, his own remains were interred.

The inscription which Damasus had prepared for his own tomb, was placed in the church. In it, the Pontiff extolled the martyrs grouped around St. Sixtus, and concluded with these words : " I, Damasus, must acknowledge that I had thought of choosing among them, a place for my own body; but I feared to insult the ashes of the Saints"*

Pursuing our pious pilgrimage, after praying at Cecilia's tomb, let us continue to explore the sacred monuments presented to us on the right side of the Appian Way. We will pass by the Churches of St. Damasus, of Pope St. Mark, and of the two brothers Marcel and Marcellinus, because they belong to the Ardeatine Way, as well as the vast cemetery of Sts. Nereus and Achilles, and descending the hill, we reach the place properly called the Catacombs. In this place, is venerated the mysterious well, where, for forty years, the bodies of the holy Apostles were concealed ; we have already mentioned it. After the age of persecution, a splendid church called after the great Sebastian, was erected upon this spot, and is one of the seven churches in which Christian Eome glories, as Pagan Borne formerly boasted of her seven hills. Several galleries of the Callistus Cemetery extend round this church. The valiant soldier of Christ, St. Sebastian, reposes here; not far from him the military tribune Quirinus, who was buried here by his pious daughter, the virgin, St. Balbina;f and Eutychius who suffered a cruel martyrdom, as we learn from the long inscription which is still preserved. Leaving the Church of St. Sebastian, we will retrace our steps towards Eome, exploring as we go, the Christian monuments upon the left of the Appian Way. Down in the valley, is the * Hie fateor Damasus volui mea condere membra ;

Sed cineres timui sanctos vexare piorum.

S. Damasi opp., carme xxxiii (Mai. Seript. Vatt. nov.

, Coll. t. v. p. 37). f Itinerar, Sali.sburg. Malmesbur.

15*

Pagan temple, memorable for having been the retreat of St. Urban. In the same direction, we can see in the distance, the Church of St. Eugenia,* which gives entrance to the cemetery of Apronianus upon the Latin Way, which, like the Ardeatine, runs parallel to the Appian. This illustrious virgin, who suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Galienus, was buried here by her mother, Claudia. We next walk along the cemetery of Pretextatus, and meet the small church built upon the spot where Pope St. Sixtus was beheaded, with his deacons, Felicissimus and Agapitus.f St. Cyprian says in one of his letters, that their execution took place in this very cemetery. The ministers of Decius hoped that by choosing, for the holy Pontiff's place of martyrdom, one of the cemeteries excavated by the faithful, they would more effectually terrify the Christians. The martyr's body was transported, as we have said, from the other side of the Way to the cemetery of Callistus, where the body of Cecilia reposed. The two deacons, who were martyred with the Pontiff1, were buried near the place where they shed their blood. A church forms the entrance to their tombs. Januarius, J Magnus, Vincent, and Stephen, who were also companions of Sixtus, are buried in the same place. On this account, the church is called, Ad Sanctum Januarium. The large crypt which contains St. Urban 's body, is near the church of which we speak. § We have seen how Marmenia, in her pious

• Itinerar. Einsidlense. | Epist. lxxxii.

X The Salzburg guide-books confound this Januarius with a son of St. Felicitas, who bore the same name. § Itinerar. Salisburg. Malmesbur.

zeal, prepared this sepulchre for the holy Pope, and this accounts for his not being buried with Cecilia and Zephyrinus.

Two other churches open upon the cemetery of Pretextatus, forming a group with that of Januarius, on the left side of the Appian Way. The smaller one is called after the holy martyr St. Zeno ;* the other, which is larger, bears the name of Saints Tiburtius, Valerian, and Maximus.f The Basilica of Cecilia and Sixtus, on the right of the Appian Way, is directly opposite to the Church of Valerian upon the left. The votive inscription to the three martyrs is exposed near their tombs. It is written in characters of the fourth and fifth centuries, and runs thus:

SANCTIS MARTYKIBVS TIBVRTIO BALERIANO^ et MAXIMO QVORVM

NATALES§ EST XVIII. KALEDAS|| MAIAS.

This marble which gives some idea of the inscriptions placed in the crypts to designate the names of the principal martyrs honored by the faithful, still exists, and in the ninth century was transported to the Church of St. Cecilia.^" After having venerated

• Itinerar. Salisburg. Malmesbur.

t Ibid.

% Baleriano for Valeriano. B is substituted for V upon many of the Christian and Pagan inscriptions of the first ages.

§ Natales for Natalis. This replacing E for I, is also very frequent in the ancient monuments. With respect to the word Natalis, birthday, being used for the day when the martyrs, disengaged from their bodies, were born to eternity, it is the usual liturgical style since the first ages of the Church.

|| Kaledas for Kalendas. These omissions of letters often disfigure the most beautiful inscriptions.

IT In the first edition we accepted the opinion of all authors who had spoken of this inscription. With them we thought it the sepulchres of our heroes, we will continue our course upon the Appian. Passing again the little Church, commemorative of the meeting of our Saviour and St. Peter, we arrive at Aurelian's wall, and going through the gate which afterwards received the name of St. Sebastian, we re-enter the Holy City.