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 CHAPTER V. THEIR PAINTINGS AND SCULPTURE. Primitive Christian art almost a new subject of Christian archæology—Most of the paintings in the Catacombs, and the best of them, belong to the first four centuries—Resemblance between the most ancient specimens and cotemporary works of Pagan art—Pagan forms of ornamentation freely used, but Christian subjects—The Good Shepherd—Peculiarities in the mode of treatment—Symbolical character of early Christian art; examples, the anchor, lamb, dove, fish—Typical representations of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist, followed by the Resurrection, in the Sacramental chapels of St. Callixtus—Biblical subjects, Noe, Jonas, &c.—Representations of Christ and His Apostles, and of His Holy Mother—Three successive periods in the development of Christian painting before the age of Constantine—Characteristics of each—Sculpture not so freely used by Christians at first—Subjects carved on sarcophagi 61 CHAPTER VI. THEIR INSCRIPTIONS. Number and importance of ancient Christian inscriptions—Destruction of very many of them—Preservation of others by the Popes—Points of resemblance to Pagan epitaphs—Points of difference—Absence of any token of social distinctions—Birth of Christian epigraphy—Active love its chief characteristic—Prayer for the dead—Prayer to the Saints—Examples—Other characteristics of later epitaphs—Age—Date of death—Unmeaning titles of praise—Words used to denote death, _in pace_, _contra votum_, &c. 108 Part II. CHAPTER I. THE PAPAL CRYPT.