CATACOMBS OF ALEXANDRIA. 



381 



THE CATACOMBS OF ALEXANDRIA; 



PAINTINGS DISCOVERED IN THEM BY MR. DAVISON. REMARKS ON THE CUSTOM OF 



PAINTING TEMPLES AND STATUES. ILLUSTRATION OF THE SINGULAR USE OF THE 



WORD Fpaipco. 



[BY THE EDITOR.~\ 



The Doric ornaments over some of the doors of the sepulchres in the 

 Necropolis at Alexandria ; the general distribution of the chambers ; 

 their resemblance in form to those in the catacombs of Milo*; and 

 the Greek inscriptions in them first discovered and mentioned by 

 Mr. Davison, lead us to conclude, that this great work was completed 

 for a repository of the dead, about and a little after the time when 

 Alexandria was built. All catacombs were originally f quarries, 

 whence materials were extracted for some neighbouring city. The 

 rock was afterwards formed into crypts and receptacles for the dead. 

 The extent and magnificence of these sepulchral chambers at Alex- 

 andria were well worthy of a city distinguished for its great wealth 

 and populousness, and described by Diodorus as £7n<£>ai>£<rraTij. (xviii. 

 279.) Over one of the doors there appears in a drawing by Mr. 

 Davison, the symbol of the globe |, so frequent in Egyptian monu- 

 ments ; but we cannot be surprised to find this in the Necropolis 



* " Whoever has seen," says Olivier, " the catacombs at Alexandria, will discover 

 in those of Milo, the same genius and same taste which planned the former." 

 f D'Orville Charit. 73. 75. 



X This ornament was observed by Col. Squire and Dr. Clarke, Travels, vol. ii. 289. 

 The former speaks of a crescent ; this is also seen in the drawing of Mr. Davison. The 

 winged globe, with a crescent under it, is sculptured at Kirmanschah in Persia. — See S. 

 de Sacy's Memoire ; Mem. de lTnstit. p. 168. Year 1815. 



