THE FIRST SIX CENTURIES. 15 



319 A. D. ; in Orelli's n. 2130, of the date 390 A. D. ; in his n. 2335 

 of the date 376 A.d. ; in Henzen's n. 6040, of the date 370 a.d. ; in 

 Muratori's n. 4, p. 389, of the date 383 A. D. ; and also in Keinesius^ 

 CI. 1, 40 (without date), whose note is worth reading. In Muratori's 

 11. 2, p. 371, of the date 305 A. d., we have the words Tauroholium 

 percepi fellc(iter). 



The oldest example of the tauroholium, of which I am aware, was in 

 175 A.D. See Fleetwood, p. 11 ; Fabretti, p. 665; and Reinesius, as 

 above. 



Another term, in which there is a strange agreement, is renatus, 

 applied by Christians to the baptized — as in De Rossi's n. 270, (ca) 

 elesti renahis (aq)ua qui vivit in (aevuni) (see also n. 36 — natus est 

 in seternwn) — and by Pagans to the TauroJjoliati. Thus Tauroholio 

 Crwholioqiie in aeternum renatus, in Orelli's n. 2352, of the date 376 

 A.D. ; and arcanis perfusionihus in aeternum renatus Tauroholium 

 Crioholiumque fecit in Henzen's n. 6040. These mystic rites seem to 

 have been a mixture of the cults of the Magna Mater and Mithras, 

 with the addition of some Christian principles and terms. 



I. 6. XI Calendas Maias. From the words Octavas Faschce, and 

 Basilio Consule, it is evident that this day — soil. April 21st — w;is 

 Easter-day in the year 463 A. D., and that Severus was baptized, 

 according to custom, on its vigil, the day being counted, as usual, from 

 Saturday to Sunday evening. But here a great difficulty presents itself. 

 According to the tables of Noris, Easter-day should in this year, 

 conformably to Roman calculation, have been celebrated on IX Calendas 

 Apriles, i. e. March 24th. The learned Cardinal discusses the subject 

 ad fastos consulares anonymi and de jpascTi. Lat. cyclo, where be 

 suggests two solutions, both of which have been proved to be erroneous, 

 one by Van der Hagen, and the other by De Rossi. The latter shows 

 that by the old Roman calculation of the cycle of 84 years, before it 

 was amended by Prosper, and also by the Victorian correction, Easter- 

 day was observed in the year 463 a.d., on the XI Calendas Maias, 

 i. e. April 21st, not on the IX Calendas Apriles, or March 24th. 



II. 6, 7. olhas suas Octahas Pascse ad sepulcrum deposidi. White 

 dresses (alhee) were worn by those receiving baptism. On the Sunday 

 next after Easter Sunday, i. e. the Octave of Easter-day, these dresses 

 were laid aside, whence this Sunday was called Dominica in Albis. 

 Paschasius was buried on the day on which, according to usage, he 

 should have laid aside his albs or white clothes. 



