272 CHRISTIAN EPITAPHS OF 



of its genuineness; and I have invariably stated the place (when 

 known) where each was found, with the authority both for this 

 statement, and for the text that I have adopted. The inscriptions, 

 that are given in the lithographic plates, are 'ffac- similes of the 

 originals, as they are represented in De Rossi's work ; the others are 

 copied with as much accuracy as I could attain, using ordinary type. 

 The notes are few and brief, as many of the difficulties are explained 

 in the expansions and translations that I have given. 



I subjoin a list of the editions of the principal works to which I 

 refer in the article: — 



Abinghi, Roma Subterranea, Lutetise Parisiorum, 1659. 



BoECKH, Corpus Inscriptionum Grsecarum, . . Berlin, 1828-1856. 



itself sufficient to excite the strongest suspicion. Ligorio, a Neapolitan, 

 was a practised forger of inscriptions, which he sold to collectors, 

 and many of his impostures have been exposed by scholars. His work, 

 however, was confined to imitation of the Heathen tituli. But there 

 were others who took up the manufacture of Christian inscriptions. The 

 celebrated epitaph on Daciana Diaconissa^ who was "the daughter of 

 Palmatus the Consul, and the sister of Victorinus the Presbyter, and 

 prophesied many things," although it passed the ordeal of Maffei's fas- 

 tidious scrutiny, is now known to have been forged, and has been traced 

 to Ferrara. See De Rossi, p. xxx. Bosio's great work in Italian, on the 

 Catacombs of Rome, was, as is well known, translated into Latin by 

 Paul Arihghi, who made Additions, to the original, contributed by him- 

 self and Severano. There is no doubt that a second Ligorio imposed on 

 Hoth of these scholars. See De Rossi, p. xxvi. Again, Boldetti, who 

 published what may be regarded as a supplement to Bosio, was so defi- 

 ^i6nt in Bcholarship and critical acuteness, and so regardless of accuracy, 

 ifeat ilt> teliiance can be placed oh his copies, «ven of inscriptiotis that 

 Ee himself saw. As this may appear to some to be too harsh a ceiiteure 

 ifo. a Writer, whosfe authority was once held in high estimation, I subjoin 

 one of the many adverse opinions pronounced on him by De Rossi, who 

 was thoroughly acquainted with his work in all its details : Huju^ (aciL 

 feoldetti) in id genus apogrdpfiis tzcipiendii imperHiam et ificufidfn non ctn' 

 iferto, i'ed fiHlkna exempla tetitcCntur. See p. 24. 



Other authors might be mentioned in illustration of the necessity for 

 examining the authority for each inscription ; but, probably, enough has 

 been said on the subject. It is a more agreeable duty to bear my testis 

 mony to the remarkable merits of Signor De Rossi's learned volume 

 —In'teriptiones Christiante Urbis Romse Seplimo Sssculo Antiquiores — a work, 

 Which is facile princeps of all that have been published on the subject. 



t I have examined Ferret's splendid volumes, but have not taken any 

 extract from them. Their reputation for accuracy is not good ; Burgon 

 doies not hesitate to call the work " simply a Romance." 



