276 CHRISTIAN EPITAPHS OP 



its use, in which it might be considered as standing for the place, 

 or for the body itself. 



7. 

 DEPOSITVS LEONEDES IN PACE 



D nil NONAS APRIL POST CONS 

 lOANNIS ET VARANA 



(/« S. Agnetis extra Muros ; De Rossi, n. 799.) 

 Depositus Leonedes (Leonides) in pace, die IV Nonas Aprile$, 

 j>ost consulatum Joannis et Varana (Varanae or Varanis). 



"Leonidas was buried in peace on the fourth day before the Nones 

 of April, (in the year) after the Consulship of John and Varanes," i.e. 

 April 2nd, 45T, a.d. 



I have uniformly translated de-positus by our ordinary word, 

 "buried." There are some, who think that it is used with a special 

 reference to the resurrection. Thus Northcote, " The Roman Cata- 

 combs," p. 143, remarks : " Eaxjh body, as it was laid in its grave, 

 was said to be deposifum there; deposited, that is, only for a while, 

 to be reclaimed again in that day when the sea and the earth shall 

 give up their dead." This is a pleasing, but, in my judgment, incor- 

 rect interpretation. The word depositus, meaning "laid down," is 

 wsed by Classical authors in the sense " despaired of," and " dead." 

 See Virgil, JEJn., xii., 395; Ovid, Trist, iii., 3, 40; Fx Pont, ii., 47. 



In Christian inscriptions, I regard it as signifying no more than 

 "laid down," i.e. that the body (corpus integrum) — not merely ^r- 

 tions of it, as was common among the heathen — was "buried." 



II. Those in which only the Name, Age, and Date are stated. 



8. 



SERVILIA • ANNORVM • XIII • 



PIS-ET-BOL-COSS- 



(H coemeterio Lucinse; De Rossi, n. 3.) 

 ServiHa, annorum XIII, Pisone et Bolano Consulihus. 

 " Servilia, of thirteen years (of age), in the Consulship of Plso and 

 Bolanus," i.e. Ill, a.d. 



This inscription has no distinctive mark of a Christian epitaph; and 

 yet the circumstances, under which it was found in the Catacombs, 

 seem to warrant its being placed among them. See De Rosai, n. 3. 



