The martyr of the catacombs : $b a tale of ancient Rome — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The martyr of the catacombs : $b a tale of ancient Rome
John Stuart Mill · en
"May the example of this young officer be for me," said Marcellus. "I
may shed my blood for Christ like him. May I die as faithfully! To lie
here among my brethren with such an epitaph, would be higher honor for
me than a mausoleum like that of Caecilia Metella."
They walked on as before.
"How sweet," said Marcellus, "is the death of the Christian! Its horror
has fled. To him it is a blessed sleep, and death, instead of awakening
terror, is associated with thoughts of rest or of victory."
THE SLEEPING PLACE OF ELPIS.
ZOTICUS LAID HERE TO SLEEP.
ASELUS SLEEPS IN CHRIST.
MARTYRIA IN PEACE.
VIDALIA IN THE PEACE OF CHRIST.
NICEPHORUS, A SWEET SOUL, IN THE PLACE OF REFRESMENT.
"Some of those inscriptions tell of the characters of the departed
brethren," said Honorius. "Look at these."
MAXIMIUS, WHO LIVED TWENTY-THREE YEARS, FRIEND OF ALL MEN.
IN CHRIST, ON THE FIFTH KALENDS OF NOVEMBER, SLEPT GORGONIUS, FRIEND
OF ALL, AND ENEMY TO NONE.
"And here too," he continued, "are others which tell of their private
lives and domestic experiences."
CAECILIUS THE HUSBAND, TO CAECILIA PLACIDINA, MY WIFE, OF EXCELLETT
MEMORY, WITH WHOM I LIVED TEN YEARS WITHOUT ANY QUARREL, IN JESUS
CHRIST, SON OF GOD, THE SAVIOUR.
SACRED TO CHRIST THE SUPREME GOD. VITALIS, BURIED ON SATURDAY,
KALENDS OF AUGUST, AGED TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS. SHE
LIVED WITH HER HUSBAND TEN YEARS AND THIRTY DAYS. IN CHRIST THE
FIRST AND THE LAST.
TO DOMNINA, MY SWEETEST AND MOST INNOCENT WIFE, WHO LIVED SIXTEEN
YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS, AND WAS MARRIED TWO YEARS FOUR MONTHS AND
NINE DAYS: WITH WHOM, I WAS NOT ABLE TO LIVE, ON ACCOUNT OF MY
TRAVELING, MORE THAN SIX MONTHS, DURING WHICH TIME I SHEWED HER MY
LOVE AS I FELT IT. NONE ELSE SO LOVED EACH OTHER. BURIED ON THE
FIFTEENTH BEFORE THE KALENDS OF JUNE.
TO CLAUDIUS, THE WELL-DESERVING AND AFFECTIONATE, WHO LOVED ME. HE
LIVED ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN CHRIST.
"There is the tribute of a loving father," said Marcellus, as he read
the following:
LAURENCE TO HIS SWEETEST SON SEVERUS. BORNE AWAY BY ANGELS ON THE
SEVENTH IDES OF JANUARY.
"And here of a wife."
Domitius in peace, Lea erected this.
"Yes," said Honorius, "the religion of Jesus Christ changes the nature
of man, and while it awakens within him love to God, it makes him
susceptible of more tender affection to his friends and relatives."
Passing on, they found many epitaphs which exhibited this tender love of
departed relatives.
CONSTANTIA, OF WONDERFUL BEAUTY AND AMIABILITY, WHO LIVED EIGHTEEN
YEARS SIX MONTHS AND SIXTEEN DAYS. CONSTANTIA IN PEACE.
SIMPLICIUS, OF GOOD AND HAPPY MEMORY, WHO LIVED TWENTY-THREE YEARS
AND FORTY-THREE DAYS IN PEACE. HIS BROTHER MADE THIS MONUMENT.