Catacomb Of Callixtus
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The Catacomb(s) of Callixtus (also known as the Cemetery of Callixtus) is one of the
Catacombs of Rome The Catacombs of Rome () are ancient catacombs, underground burial places in and around Rome, of which there are at least forty, some rediscovered since 1578, others even as late as the 1950s. There are more than fifty catacombs in the underg ...
on the
Appian Way The Appian Way (Latin and Italian language, Italian: Via Appia) is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient Roman Republic, republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is in ...
, notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes (
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
: ''Cappella dei Papi''), which once contained the tombs of several popes from the 2nd to 4th centuries.


History

The Catacomb is believed to have been created by future
Pope Callixtus I Pope Callixtus I ( Greek: Κάλλιστος), also called Callistus I, was the bishop of Rome (according to Sextus Julius Africanus) from to his death or 223.Chapman, John (1908). "Pope Callistus I" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 3. ...
, then a deacon of Rome, under the direction of
Pope Zephyrinus Pope Zephyrinus was the bishop of Rome from the year 199 until his death on 20 December 217. He was born in Rome, and succeeded Victor I. Upon his death on 20 December 217, he was succeeded by his principal advisor, Callixtus I. He is known fo ...
, enlarging pre-existing early Christian hypogea. Callixtus himself was entombed in the Catacomb of Calepodius on the Aurelian Way. The
crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...
fell into disuse and decay as the relics it contained were translated from the catacombs to the various
churches of Rome There are more than 930 churches in Rome, which makes it the city with the largest number of churches in the world. Almost all of these are Catholic. Taking into account the number of churches deconsecrated or otherwise transformed, the total ...
; the final wave of translations from the crypt occurred under
Pope Sergius II Pope Sergius II (; died 27 January 847) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from January 844 to his death in 847. Sergius II's pontificate saw the Arab raid against Rome as well as the city's redevelopment. Rise Born to a noble ...
in the 9th century, primarily to San Silvestro in Capite, which unlike the Catacomb was within the
Aurelian Walls The Aurelian Walls () are a line of city walls built between 271 AD and 275 AD in Rome, Italy, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Aurelian. They superseded the earlier Servian Wall built during the 4th century BC. The walls enclosed all the ...
. The Catacomb and Crypt were rediscovered in 1854 by the pioneering Italian archaeologist
Giovanni Battista de Rossi Giovanni Battista (Carlo) de Rossi (23 February 1822 – 20 September 1894) was an Italian archaeologist, famous even outside his field for rediscovering early Christian catacombs. Life and works Born in Rome, he was the son of Commendatore C ...
.


Description

The catacomb forms part of an ancient funerary complex, the ''Complesso Callistiano'', that occupies thirty hectares. The boundaries of this are taken as being the Via Appia Antica, the Via Ardeatina and the Vicolo delle Sette Chiese. The area of the catacomb proper is about fifteen hectares, and it goes down for five levels. A rough estimate puts the length of passageways at about twenty kilometres, and the occupancy at about half a million bodies. This catacomb's most ancient parts are the crypt of Lucina, the region of the Popes and the region of
Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia (), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman Christian virgin martyr, who is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the ...
, where some of the most sacred memories of the place are preserved (including the crypt of the Popes, the crypt of Saint Cecilia, and the crypt of the Sacraments); the other regions are named the region of Saint Gaius and the region of Saint Eusebius (end of the 3rd century), West region (built in the first half of the 4th century) and the Liberian region (second half of the 4th century), all showing grandiose underground architecture. A modern staircase, on the site of an ancient one, was built by
Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list ...
, giving access to the region of the Popes, in which is to be found the Crypt of the Popes, where nine pontiffs and, perhaps, eight representatives of the ecclesiastical hierarchy had been buried – along its walls are the original Greek inscriptions for the pontiffs Pontian, Anterus, Fabian, Lucius I and Eutychian. In the far wall Pope Sixtus II was also buried, after he was killed during the persecution of Valerian; in front of his tomb Pope Damasus had carved an inscription in
poetic metre In poetry, metre (British English, Commonwealth spelling) or meter (American English, American spelling; see American and British English spelling differences#-re, -er, spelling differences) is the basic rhythm, rhythmic structure of a verse (poe ...
in characters thought up by the calligrapher
Furius Dionysius Filocalus Furius Dionysius Filocalus was a Roman scribe and stone engraver, specialized in Epigraphy, epigraphic texts, who was active in the second half of the fourth century. Chronography of 354 One of his most noteworthy works is the "Chronography of ...
. In the adjoining crypt is the grave of
Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia (), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman Christian virgin martyr, who is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the ...
, whose relics were removed by
Pope Paschal I Pope Paschal I (; died 824) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 25 January 817 to his death in 824. Paschal was a member of an aristocratic Roman family. Before his election to the papacy, he was abbot of St. Stephen's monas ...
in 821: the early 9th-century frescoes on the walls represent Saint Cecilia praying, the bust of the Redeemer and
Pope Urban I Pope Urban I (), also known as Saint Urban (175?–230), was the bishop of Rome from 222 to 23 May 230.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1912). "Pope Urban I" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company. He was born in Rome ...
. A short distance away, an arcade dating to the end of the 2nd century gives access to the cubicula of the sacraments, with their frescoes from the first half of the 3rd century hinting at
baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...
, the Eucharist and the resurrection of the flesh; in the region of Saint Militiades next door, a child's sarcophagus has a front sculpted with biblical episodes. In the region of Saints Gaius and Eusebius are some crypts set apart, opposite each other, with the tombs of Pope Gaius (with an inscription) and
Pope Eusebius Pope Eusebius (died 21 October 310) was the bishop of Rome from 18 April 309 until his exile on 17 August 310. Biography Not much is known about Eusebius' early life, but he was probably a Greek. As in the case of his predecessor, Marcellu ...
, who died in Sicily where he had been exiled by Maxentius and whose body was translated to Rome during the pontificate of Militiades; on a marble copy of the end of the 4th century (of which fragments may be seen on the opposite wall) may be read of an inscription by Damasus which highlights Eusebius' role in the resolution of schism in the early church, particularly as it related to the acceptance of apostates. Along "passage O" north of the Crypt of the Popes are, in succession, the crypt of the martyrs Calogerus and Parthenius and the double cubiculum of Severus, which contains a rhythmic inscription (dated to no later than 304) in which a
bishop of Rome The pope is the bishop of Rome and the visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the pope was the sovereign or head of sta ...
(at that time Marcellinus) is first called pope and first openly professes belief in the final resurrection. In a region further from there, the so-called "Crypt of Lucina", is the burial of
Pope Cornelius Pope Cornelius () was the bishop of Rome from 6th or 13 March 251 until his martyrdom in June 253. He was pope during and following a period of persecution of the church, while a schism occurred over how Lapsi (Christianity), repentant church mem ...
, whose tomb still has its original inscription giving him the title of martyr and, on its sides, splendid paintings with figures in 7th and 8th century
Byzantine style Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire, or Eastern Roman Empire, usually dated from 330 AD, when Constantine the Great established a new Roman capital in Byzantium, which became Constantinople, until the fall of the ...
representing popes
Sixtus II Pope Sixtus II (), also written as Pope Xystus II, was bishop of Rome from 31 August 257 until his death on 6 August 258. He was killed along with seven deacons, including Lawrence of Rome, during the persecution of Christians by the Emperor V ...
and Cornelius and the African bishops
Cyprian Cyprian (; ; to 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Christian writer of Berbers, Berber descent, ...
and Ottatus. In a nearby cubiculum are some of the most ancient burials, after AD 175, with Roman frescoes of (on the ceiling) the Good Shepherd and orantes and (on the far wall) two fish with a basket of loaves behind it, a symbol of the Eucharist.


Papal tombs

At its peak, the site would have held the remains of 16 popes and 50 martyrs. Nine of those popes were buried in the Crypt of the Popes itself, to which
Pope Damasus I Pope Damasus I (; c. 305 – 11 December 384), also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list ...
built a staircase in the 4th century. Among the discovered
Greek language Greek (, ; , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language, constituting an independent Hellenic languages, Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family. It is native to Greece, Cyprus, Italy (in Calabria and Salento), south ...
inscriptions are those associated with:
Pope Pontian Pope Pontian (; died October 235) was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 230 to 28 September 235.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911). "Pope St. Pontian" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company. In 235, during the perse ...
,
Pope Anterus Pope Anterus (, , romanized: ''Antheros'') was the bishop of Rome from 21 November 235 until his death on 3 January 236.Shahan, Thomas (1907). "Pope St. Anterus" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Life A ...
,
Pope Fabian Pope Fabian () was the bishop of Rome from 10 January 236 until his death on 20 January 250, succeeding Pope Anterus, Anterus. A Doves as symbols, dove is said to have descended on his head to mark him as the Holy Spirit in Christianity, Holy Sp ...
,
Pope Lucius I Pope Lucius I was the bishop of Rome from 25 June 253 to his death on 5 March 254. He was banished soon after his consecration, but gained permission to return. He was mistakenly classified as a martyr in the persecution by Emperor Valerian, whi ...
, and
Pope Eutychian Pope Eutychian, also called Eutychianus (), was the bishop of Rome from 4 January 275 to his death on 7 December 283. Eutychian's original epitaph was discovered in the catacomb of Callixtus (see Kraus, ''Roma sotterranea'', p. 154 et seq ...
. A more lengthy inscription to Pope Sixtus II by Furius Dionisius Filocalus has also been discovered. Outside the Crypt of the Popes, the region of Saints Gaius and Eusebius is so named for the facing tombs of Pope Gaius ("Caius") and
Pope Eusebius Pope Eusebius (died 21 October 310) was the bishop of Rome from 18 April 309 until his exile on 17 August 310. Biography Not much is known about Eusebius' early life, but he was probably a Greek. As in the case of his predecessor, Marcellu ...
(translated from Sicily). In another region, there is a tomb attributed to
Pope Cornelius Pope Cornelius () was the bishop of Rome from 6th or 13 March 251 until his martyrdom in June 253. He was pope during and following a period of persecution of the church, while a schism occurred over how Lapsi (Christianity), repentant church mem ...
, bearing the inscription "CORNELIVS MARTYR", also attributed to Filocalus. A plaque placed by
Pope Sixtus III Pope Sixtus III, also called Pope Xystus III, was the bishop of Rome from 31 July 432 to his death on 18 August 440. His ascension to the papacy is associated with a period of increased construction in the city of Rome. His feast day is celebrate ...
(c. 440) lists the following popes: Sixtus II, Dionysius, Cornelius, Felix, Pontianus, Fabianus, Gaius, Eusebius, Melchiades, Stephen, Urban I, Lucius, and Anterus, a list not including any 2nd century tombs. The Crypt of the Popes quickly filled in the 4th century, causing other popes to be buried in related catacombs, such as the
Catacomb of Priscilla The Catacomb of Priscilla is a large archaeological site on the Via Salaria in Rome, Italy, situated in what was a quarry in Roman times. The catacombs extend underground for over seven miles, making them one of Romes most extensive catacombs. ...
, the Catacomb of Balbina (only Pope Mark), the Catacomb of Calepodius (only
Pope Callixtus I Pope Callixtus I ( Greek: Κάλλιστος), also called Callistus I, was the bishop of Rome (according to Sextus Julius Africanus) from to his death or 223.Chapman, John (1908). "Pope Callistus I" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 3. ...
and
Pope Julius I Pope Julius I was the bishop of Rome from 6 February 337 to his death on 12 April 352. He was appealed to by Athanasius when the latter was deposed from his position as patriarch by Arian bishops, Julius then supported Athanasius and condemned hi ...
), the Catacomb of Pontian (only
Pope Anastasius I Pope Anastasius I was the bishop of Rome from 27 November 399 to his death on 19 December 401. Retrieved 4 March 2012. Anastasius was born in Rome, and was the son of Maximus. He succeeded Siricius as pope and condemned the writings of the Al ...
and
Pope Innocent I Pope Innocent I () was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the prerogatives of ...
, father and son), and the Catacomb of Felicitas (only
Pope Boniface I Pope Boniface I () was the bishop of Rome from 28 December 418 to his death on 4 September 422. His election was disputed by the supporters of Eulalius until the dispute was settled by Emperor Honorius. Boniface was active in maintaining churc ...
).


2nd century


3rd century


4th century


Paintings

The tomb contains early paintings with Christian themes. In the early 20th century, researchers began to photograph and make colored photographs of the paintings. Joseph Wilpert (1857-1944) directed photographs to be taken by "Pompeo Sansaini, accompanied by his son Renato." These were printed on salted paper and hand colored with watercolors by Carlo Tabanelli, who sat in front of the artworks in the catacombs to accurately reproduce the colors. Approximately 600 of these photographed, hand colored paintings exist today. File:Good shepherd 02b close.jpg, Circa 250-300 A.D. The
Good Shepherd The Good Shepherd (, ''poimḗn ho kalós'') is an image used in the pericope of , in which Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ is depicted as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Similar imagery is used in Psalm 23 and Ezeki ...
, Callixitus Catacomb, Crypt of Lucina. The pail (of milk?) carried by the Shepherd has been seen as symbolizing the
Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...
. File:Jesus as the Good Shepherd, Calixtus Catacomb, Crypt of Lucina, from the from the book Die Malereien der Katakomben Roms, plate 35.jpg, Late 2nd century A.D. Jesus as the Good Shepard, Crypt of Lucina. File:Jesus, the bread symbolizing him; an deceased Christian prays, Callistus Catacomb, from the 1903 book Die Malereien der Katakomben Roms (Tafeln) by Joseph Wilpert, plate 41.jpg, Wilpert's photo of a 3rd century fresco in one of the Sacrament Chapels, Catacomb of Callistus. Christ, clad in the philosopher's
pallium The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : pallia) is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropolitan bish ...
, consecrates fish and bread (symbol of the Eucharist); an
orans Orans, a loanword from Medieval Latin ''orans'' () translated as "one who is praying or pleading", also orant or orante, as well as lifting up holy hands, is a posture or attitude (art), bodily attitude of prayer, usually standing, with the elbo ...
stands beside the tripod. File:Eucharistic bread.jpg, Modern color photograph for comparison. File:Baptism - Saint Calixte.jpg, Baptism Christ and the Samaritan woman drawing water, Catacomb of Callistus, 2nd century AD, from the from the book Die Malereien der Katakomben Roms, plate 29.jpg, Christ and the Samaritan woman drawing water File:Christian in Rome in orante praying position, from the book Die Malereien der Katakomben Roms, plate 88, levels tool used.jpg, Man praying in orans position File:Wilpert 028.jpg, Loaves of bread and fish (symbols of the Eucharist)


In popular culture

In the novel '' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'' by
Lew Wallace Lewis Wallace (April 10, 1827February 15, 1905) was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, governor of New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, artist, and author from Indiana. Among his novels and biographies, Walla ...
, Judah Ben-Hur, along with his wife Esther and Malluch, decide to donate their fortunes to the Christian community in Rome. The donations are eventually used to help build the catacombs. In the novel ''The Marble Faun'' by
Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (né Hathorne; July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associat ...
, chapters 3 and 4 describe a visit to the catacomb. As it was published in 1860, this is an early literary description of the recently discovered site.


See also

*
List of ancient monuments in Rome This is a list of ancient monuments from Roman Republic, Republican and Roman Empire, Imperial periods in the city of Rome, Italy. Amphitheaters * Amphitheater of Caligula * Amphitheatrum Castrense * Amphitheater of Nero * Amphitheater of Stati ...


Notes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Catacomb Of Callixtus Callixtus Papal tombs Rome Q. XX Ardeatino