Arcosolium
arcosolium
(Latin: arcus, arch; solium, seat)
Arched recess used as a burial-place in the catacombs, especially in Rome in the 3rd century. Mass was often celebrated on the marble slab placed horizontally over the opening. It was sometimes decorated with symbolic frescos in the vault of the arch and in the lunette.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Arcosolium
This word is derived from arcus “arch” and solium, a term sometimes used by Latin writers in the sense of “sarcophagus”; solium porphyretici marmoris (Suet., Ner., 50). The term arcosolium was applied by the primitive Christians to one form of the tombs that exist in the Roman catacombs. Thus, an inscription published by Marchi (Mon. delle arti prim., 85), which may still be seen in the courtyard of the Palazzo Borghese, states that “Aur. Celsus and Aur. Hilaritas have had made for themselves and their friends this arcosolium, with its little wall, in peace.” The arcosolium tombs of the catacombs were formed by first excavating in the tufa walls a space similar to an ordinary loculus surmounted by an arch. After this space was cleared an oblong cavity was opened from above downwards into that part of the rock facing the arch; a marble slab placed horizontally over the opening thus made completed the tomb, which in this way became a species of sarcophagus hewn out of the living rock. The horizontal slab closing the tomb was about the height of an ordinary table from the ground. In some instances, as in the “papal crypt” and the crypt of St. Januarius, the front wall of the arcosolium tomb was constructed of masonry. A species of tomb similar in all respects but one to the arcosolium is the so-called sepulchrum a mensâ, or table-tomb; in this a rectangular niche takes the place of the arch. The baldacchino tombs of Sicily and Malta belong also to this class; they consist of a combination of several arcosolia. A more ancient form of the arcosolium than that described consisted of an arched niche, excavated to the level of the floor, in which sarcophagi of marble or terra-cotta containing the remains of the deceased were placed. Arcosolium tombs were much in vogue during the third century in Rome. Many of the later martyrs were interred in them, and there are reasons to suppose that in such instances the horizontal slabs closing the tombs a served as altars on certain occasions. The arcosolia of the Roman cemeteries were usually decorated with symbolic frescoes, the vault of the arch and the lunette being prepared with stucco for this purpose. One of the most interesting examples of an arcosolium adorned in this manner may be seen in the catacomb of Sts. Peter and Marcellinus; in the lunette the miracle of Cana is represented as a symbol of the Eucharist, while on the arch a baptismal scene and a symbol of baptism – always associated with Eucharistic symbols – are depicted on either side of a veiled orans. A second excellent example of a decorated arcosolium, in the Cæmeterium Majus, represents on the arch our Saviour between two praying figures, and in the lunette Mary as an orans (unique in the catacombs), with the child Jesus. (See CATACOMBS.)
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KRAUS, Real-Encyklop., I, 89, 90; LECLERCQ in Dict. d’arch. chrét., I.
MAURICE M. HASSETT Transcribed by Vivek Gilbert John Fernandez Dedicated to those who created Arcosolium tombs.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume ICopyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Arcosolium
is a term supposed to denote those tombs hewn in the rock of the Catacombs of Rome (and( elsewhere) in which there is an arched opening above the portion reserved for the deposition of the body, the grave being dug from above downwards into the reserved portion below the arch. Others suppose it to mean the sepulchral chambers, or cubicula, in which the great majority of these tombs are found. In the tombs of this kind the receptacle for the corpse was sometimes covered by a slab of marble, or sometimes a marble sarcophagus was inserted. In a few cases the sarcophagus projects forward into the chamber, and the sides of the arch are continued to the ground beyond the sarcophagus. Such slabs or sarcophagi have been supposed to have served as altars during the period of persecution, as being the resting-places of saints or martyrs, and in some instances this may have been the case; but the far greater number of these tombs are, no doubt, of later date, being simply the monuments used by the wealthier class. The bishops and martyrs of the 3d century were placed, not in these arcosolia, or monumenta arcuata, but in simple loculi-excavations in the wall just large enough to receive a body placed lengthwise. In the 4th and 5th centuries the humble: loculus was altered into the decorated monumentum arcuatum, and the whole sepulchral chamber, in many cases, was richly adorned with incrustations of marble, with stucco, and with paintings.
An excellent example of this is afforded by the chamber in’ the Cemetery of Calixtus, in which the remains of the popes Eusebius (309- 311) and Miltiades (or Melchiades, 311-314) were placed, a part of which is represented in the annexed wood-cut. In the walls of this chamber are three large aircosolia, in front of one of which was a marble slab, with an inscription by pope Damasus commemorating pope Eusebius. The whole chamber has been richly decorated with marble incrustations, paintings, and mosaics. These decorations it would seem reasonable to assign to pope Damasus, who undoubtedly set. up the inscription. In the year 1859, in the Cemetery of St. Calixtus, an unviolated. arcosolium was discovered; in this a marble sarcophagus was found, in which lay a body swathed in numerous bands of linen exactly in the manner shown in the early representations of the raising of Lazarus. These arcosolia were often decorated with paintings, either on the front of the sarcophagus or on the wall above it. One of the most remarkable instances is the tomb of St. Hermes, in the catacombs near Rome called by his name. The tombs of this class are more usually found in the cubicula, or small chambers, than in the galleries of the catacombs; in the former, two, three, or more are often found. Martigny seeks to draw a distinction between those found in the cubicula, which he thinks may often: or generally be those of wealthy individuals made at their own cost; and those in the so-called chapels or larger excavations, which lie thinks were constructed at the general charge of the Christian community. In’ one such chapel in the Cemetery of St. Agnes, near Rome, there are eleven such tombs. It is claimed that such chapels, specially connected with the veneration of martyrs, do not usually date from an earlier period than the 4th or 5th century.