The word Cemetery _Koimeterion_ comes from the Greek _Koimao (Koimaein)_ to sleep. It is the sleeping place, and "Christianity has turned the Sepulchre into a Cemetery assuring us, as it does, that those who die in Jesus, _Sleep in Him_, awaiting a future awakening, in augmented vigour, and with renovated powers. To the Christian, the grave should be associated with the idea of calm and undisturbed repose, after a life of honourable toil, with the hope of a glorious and blessed resurrection." The Greeks had their burial places at a distance from the towns. Lycurgus allowed his Lacedemonians to bury their dead within the city and around their temples that the youth being inured to such spectacles might be the less terrified with the apprehension of death. Two reasons are alleged why the ancients did not allow burials within their cities. 1st. they considered that the sight, touch or neighbourhood of a corpse defiled a man, especially a priest. 2nd. to prevent the air from being corrupted by putrifying bodies, and the buildings from being endangered by the frequency of (Cremation) funeral fires. The custom of burning bodies prevailed amongst most Eastern nations, and was continued by their descendants, after they had peopled the different parts of Europe. Hence we find it prevailing in Greece, Italy, Gaul, Britain, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, till Christianity abolished it. The Romans had their places of interment in the suburbs and fields especially the highways; hence the necessity of inscriptions. We have a few exceptional instances of persons buried in the city a favour allowed to only a few of singular merit in the Commonwealth. Burying within the walls was expressly prohibited by a law of the xii Tables. Plutarch says those who had triumphed were indulged in it. Val. Publicola and C. Fabricius, are said to have had tombs in the Forum, and Cicero adds Tuberius to the number. Places of burial were consecrated under Pope Calixtus I. in A.D. 210. (_Eusebius._) Among the primitive Christians, cemeteries were held in great veneration. It appears from Eusebius and Tertullian that in the early ages they assembled for divine worship in the cemeteries. Burying in churches for many ages was severely prohibited by Christian Emperors. The first step towards it was the erection of churches over the graves of martyrs in the cemeteries, and translating the relics of others into churches in the city. Subsequently Kings and Emperors were buried in the Atrium or church porch. The first Christian burial place it is said, was instituted in 596; buried in cities, 742; in consecrated places, 750; in church yards, 758. It is said however in the 6th century the people began to be admitted into the churchyards; and some Princes, Founders and Bishops into the churches. The practice adopted at the consecration of cemeteries, was something after this fashion--the Bishop walked round it in procession with the crosier or pastoral staff in his hand,