TWO EXAMPLES OF RECENT DISCOVERIES I THE CRYPT OF S. CECILIA The old story of the famous Saint no longer a mere legend--Reconstruction of S. Cecilia’s life--The crypt is described--Her basilica in the Trastevere quarter--once S. Cecilia’s house 289 II REMOVAL OF S. CECILIA TO HER BASILICA Discovery of remains of S. Cecilia by Paschal I., A.D. 821--Appearance of the body, which he translated from the crypt in the catacomb of Callistus to her basilica--Her tomb in the basilica opened in A.D. 1599 by Clement VIII.--Appearance of the body--Maderno copied it in marble--How De Rossi discovered and identified in the original catacomb the crypt of S. Cecilia 292 III THE TOMB OF S. FELICITAS, AND OF HER SONS Discovery and identification of the burial-places of S. Felicitas, of S. Januarius, and of her other sons--Reconstruction of her story--Tomb of S. Januarius found in cemetery of Prætextatus on the Via Appia--Original tomb of S. Felicitas found in the cemetery bearing her name (Via Salaria Nova)--Identification of the burial-places of her other sons 298 PART III TEACHING OF THE INSCRIPTIONS AND CARVINGS ON THE TOMBS I EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS--THEIR SIMPLICITY Uncounted numbers of graves in this silent city of the dead; computed at three, four, or five millions--belonging to all ranks--Some of these were elaborately adorned--Greek often the language of very early epitaphs--Great simplicity as a rule in inscriptions--No panegyric of dead--just a name--a prayer--an emblem of faith and hope--Communion of saints everywhere asserted 307 II EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS CONTRASTED WITH PAGAN INSCRIPTIONS A few of these epitaphs quoted--never a word of sorrow for the departed found in them--Question of the catacomb teaching on efficacy of prayers of the dead for the living--S. Cyprian quoted here--Desire of being interred close to a famous martyr--Marked difference in the pagan conception of the dead--Some pagan epitaphs quoted 310 III EPITAPHS IN THE CATACOMBS--THEIR DOGMATIC TEACHING