Greeted By A Large Audience
GREETED BY A LARGE AUDIENCE
Prof. Kelsey's Lecture at Sarah Caswell Angela Hall
THE CATACOMBS OF ROME
WAs Subject Which Entertained Many Persons Friday Evening - Origin of the Catacombs
The Sara Caswell Angela hall was crowded to the doors Friday evening with people who had come to hear the lecture of Prof. F. W. Kelsey on "The Catacombs at Rome."
Prof. Kelsey has recently spent about a year in and about Rome and spoke very entertainingly of the most interesting feature of that old city, its subterranean cemeteries. He said in part:
"Catacombs appeared first at about the beginning of the thirteenth century. The word catacombs does not necessarily mean a cemetery, the word is derived from the Greek word 'catacombus' which means 'the hollows.' The catacombs were used as burial places by the Christians and following the custom of the pagans, who burned their dead along the highways, the Christians made these subterranean passages to follow as closely as possible along the highway.
"The greatest catacomb in Rome, is along the Apian Way, the territory in that vicinity being entirely undermined with these interesting passages. The ground for sixty miles around Rome has been covered with volcanic dust and grit to a depth of about 100 feet. This dust has fallen in layers and has become stratified by the washing of the waters of the Tiber over it.
"These layers are soft and passages are easily made through them. Doubtless this fact has been the reason why the underground cemeteries became so generally used. The story of the origin of the catacombs is this.
"Early in the Christian era a Roman maiden and her two brothers became Christians and when the pagan authorities became informed of the fact, they seized the brothers and threw them from a high bridge into the Tiber river and they were drowned. The bodies floated down the stream. The sister of the unfortunates and another Christian woman, Fortunatus, followed them and when they finally came ashore, these two women buried the bodies in a sand-pit. The burial places of martyrs are always reverenced and so this spot became a holy one in which to bury the dead and the passages were gradually lengthened, making this a great catacomb.
"The niches in which the bodies, wrapped in a shroud, were laid, are of various shapes and sizes. The apertures were closed with a marble slab or one of terra cotta, and on them were inscribed simple inscriptions, usually the name and 'In Pace,' meaning 'rest in peace.'
"Many of these passages and chambers were plastered and the walls were decorated with paintings of sacred symbols, the shepherd and his sheep being a favorite theme with the old time artists.
"There are several interesting crypts, those most worthy of mention being those of St. Cecelia and the papal chapel, where so many popes were buried. Most of these crypts have been rifled of their contents, some for the bones of the saints and martyrs and later by vandals, who were after any valuables which they might contain."
The lecture was illustrated by slides which were copies of illustrations from the valuable book of De Rossi, who is one of the best students of archaeology the world knows. A copy of this valuable book is in the possession of the University library. It is valued at $180 and was presented by Mr. Perry, of Detroit. At the time of its purchase it was the only copy procurable.
The lecture was a most interesting one throughout and Prof. Kelsey held the closest attention of his audience.
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Old News
Ann Arbor Argus-Democrat