274 CHRISTIAN EPITAPHS OF 



at least, some of them were not selected by those, who bore them, 

 or by their relatives, but were applied by the heathen in contempt, 

 and then adopted. We often meet with names common to both 

 Christians and Pagans, and sometimes find the former strangely 

 called after heathen deities, e.g. Mercurius. 



I have followed De Rossi in reading R as recessit ; others prefer 

 requiescit, or rediddif, sc. animam. We should have had III after 

 MAX, for Maximian was consul for the third time in the same 

 year (290) in which Diocletian was consul for the fourth time. 



2. 

 IGNATIVS • SEM 



NVS 



XVKAL FEB 



HANNIBALIANO 



ETASCLEPIODO 



TO COSS 



{In vinea supra coemeterium Petri et Marcellini ; De Rossi, n. 19.) 



Ignatius Semnus, XY Kalendas Februarias, Hannihaliano et 



Asdepiodoto Consulihus. 



" Ignatius Semnus, on the fifteenth day before the Calends of Febru- 

 ary, in the Consulship of Hannibalianus and Asclepiodotus," i.e. January 

 I8th, 292, A.D. 



There is an ellipsis of a word between Ignatius Semnus and XV. 

 Kal. Feb. Either decessit or depositus — "died," or "was buried," — 

 may be supplied ; of the two, the latter is the more probable in 

 Christian epitaphs. A similar ellipsis is found in heathen sepulchral 

 inscriptions. Thus, in the collection given by Lanzi, Saggio, i., p. 

 162, we have COIILIA A • D • X • KAL • DUG, i.e. Coelia ante 

 diem X Kalendas Decemlres, scil. " Coelia, on November 22nd," 

 whereby we should understand, that her bones were collected on that 

 day. See Mommsen, Inscrip. Latin. Antiq., p. 210. In his n. 887, 

 we have P for Positus, and in n. 957, ossiva, i.e. ossa. 



3. 

 (See Plate I, 2.) 



(E coemet. Theodorx ; De Bossi, n. 55.) 



Constantio Aug. II et Constanti (Constante) Av^. (^Conss.) I{onis 

 Decemb. Clau(di)anus dormit in (^pace.) 



