Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

eight years.
n i money.
The provincial towns, as Dio Cassius remarks, and
ularly Smyrna, that had ju.st risen from its ashes, -were richly
"
l>y the Emperor. Through such munificence, the coffers
.rcus Aurelius were so much exhausted, that at lost he had
He therefore put up his imperial jewels, his plate,
:iini even Faustina's jewels and wardrobe for public sale.
Inasmuch as Marcus Aurelius gained the favor of his people,
by his generosity, and as much as he labored to establish his dignity,
so much the more was Commodus hated by them: so that
all the intentions and labors of the noble father were wrecked on
the worthlessness of the son. He was wanton, cruel, unjust, and
rapacious, and in every respect bore a striking resemblance to
his tyrannical and depraved predecessor, Domitian, and his greatest
ambition was to be styled: "The conqueror of a thousand
gladiators." Commodus' wicked career was terminated by a sud-
den and violent death, in the thirty-first year of his age ,
reign of thirteen yours.
CHAPTER XX.
1.YDIA IN SEARCH OF HER MOTHER.
after a
LociAir remarked once in speaking of the Christians; "It is
scarcely to be believed, how these men, so indifferent to the du-
ties of the state, can run, the moment the neck of one of their
own sect is in danger; they assemble together like ants to save
him. They are persuaded that they are immortal in soul and
body, and are taught to believe that they are all brothers."
How could it be difficult under such circumstance for one of
thoir faith, entering the imperial city as a stranger, to find a hos-
pitable reception with sympathizing brothers.
Even as it is to this day, where the members of that commu-
nity settle themselves near the church, so we find that the Christians
of that time placed themselves near the sanctuary, and that
too on the east side of the city.
The Viminal Hill could perhaps be called tho first spot where
a colony of Christians settled. "Already in the time of the
Apostles there were in Rome, places consecrated to God ; by some
called oratories, by others churches, where, on every first day of
the week, a meeting took place, and the Christians who prayed
there, heard the word of God, and received Communion."*
At the foot of the Viminal, stood the church, called the
"Church of the Shepherd." In this church, which was afterwards
called St. Pudentiana, St. Peter had officiated a hundred
years previous, and there celebrated the sacred mysteries. 8 8.
Peter and Paul, during their sojourn in Rome, converted to Christianity
the Senator Pudens and his daughters, and those two
daughters, Pudentiana and Praxedes, who clung to the Faith
with a holy zeal, appropriated, not only their dwelling places, but
(he entire of their fortunes to religious purposes.
At .this day, eighteen hundred years later, strangers find in
Rome, not far from the famous Bazilica of S. Maria Maggiore,
two churches called St. Pudentiana and St. Praxedes.
Although Lydia was a stranger in Rome, still she found in
the above mentioned oratories several Christians, who with the
greatest kindness assured her of their services, for they were at
that time as in the Apostles; "One heart and one soul." She
hastened to impart to her first acquaintance, how her mother
had been torn from her several years back, at Smyrna, that she
was a Christian, and her name Charitana, and that she was
probably a slave in Rome. The number of the Christians
was then so great, that it would have been difficult in so large a
c'ty, to find a slave, who had in all probability changed her former
name. Besides the rich families were, for the most part, in
t he country during the summer months, seeking change
of air
either in the mountains or at the sea-side, where they were at
nl by the greater number of their domestics.
Lydia resolved to remain in Rome, and to seek her mother un
ee is-in-.rly until she had found her, or till she had received cer-
tain news of her fate.
i'(. Proi>riiini Sanctorum In dcdlcul. JJusil as. tMmimuiB.
She was told that in a few days the feast of St. Mar
would bo celebrated, and that for this purpose, many of tho
Christians would assemble in the Catacombs near the
Way, for divine service, and that she would probably U
ccive more certain news of Charitana.
At these words Lydia's countenance brightened, and si.
herself the happiest of mortals, and imagined herself already
in the embraces of her dear mother, from whom she hud 1
long separated. This hope did not deter her from making in-
quiries of all the Christians she met, asking them if 1, they
or heard anything of Charitana. She went first of all to u pious
and wealthy matron, named Fchcitas, to whom she was recommended
by Bishop Dionysms, and was received by her as if hc
had belonged to the renowned family of this much-tried woman.
The circumstance that she was the daughter of one sold on account
of her Faith, was a sufficient recommendation. Felicitas
promised that she would introduce her to the Roman Bishop,
Holer, at the next meeting of the faithful, and added that per-
haps he could give her some intelligence.
We will now accompany the Christians to the nightly meeting,
which on the above named day took place in the Catacombs m
the Appian Way. It is two hours past midnight, and Rome is
sunk in sleep, but here and there can be seen a straggler who
had been tempted to linger with his dissolute companions, far
beyond the hour prescribed by usage. Aproaching footsteps
echoed along the deserted streets, and some females from the
house of a wealthy Roman solicitor, Minutius Felix, were wending
their way in profound silence along the Esquilme hill, and
passed the Coliseum. This gigantic structure, erected by order
of Vespasian, is said to have been built in one year, by the forced
labor of 12,000 Jews and Christians. It consisted of three orders
of architecture, the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian, and was six-
teen hundred and twelve feet in circumference. It contained
eighty arcades, and was capable of accommodating a hundred
thousand spectators. Their road led to the new and extensive
baths built by Antoninus, and then across to the Via Appia towards
the Almo river. The females to the left, advanced towards
some villas m the valley of Egeria, where were some monuments
to the departed Romans, and a temple to the Deus Ridiculus.
The pious company had not yet reached the Catacombs, when
Lydia interrupted the long silence of her companions by remark-
"
ing: I wonder If I shall see my mother again in this world!
How that I expect to hear something of her, I feel myself oppressed
with an unusual heaviness and anxious sorrow. Our
wandering here in the first dawn of morning, as well ns I tie
tombs here in the Appian Way, yes the memory of the saint her
self, whose feast we are going to celebrate all remind mo of the
journey of those holy women, who before it was yet day, de-
parted from Jerusalem to visit the sepulchre of our Redeemer.
Perhaps our way will also lead to a grave."
"Why such melancholy thoughts," interrupted Felicitas,
" remember that Magdalen found Him living, whom she sought
in the grave. We are also going to the graves of the saints. \\ ho
lie in the Catacombs, and perhaps you will find her whom you
seek amongst the dead, also living." The nearer she appr
the entrance, the more animated became the streets which led to
the subterraneous churches. Christians from all parts were assembling
at that early hour to join in the solemn service. The
women passed through a door to the subterraneous streets anil to
the last resting places of so many thousands of the faithful
parted. A youth was keeping a careful watch at th
de-
offered them a taper. The air was thick and oppiv-
the heat of summer did not tend to lessen, and the M,
mouldering bodies was scarcely to be borne. The grey walls
of the alternately small and large passages, which ci
other a hundred times, were full of apertures in the form