The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . St. Peters at Rome, it would seem that little of the much-vaunted treasure is now in existence. 138 THE MARTYRS OF It was customary among the Romans to tear thesides of malefactors with the ungula; the Christianscomplained that in their own case, the judgesordered them to be torn on other parts of theperson. But Tertullian fancifully contrasts thelaceration of a Christians sides with the cuttingand hewing inflicted on the whole surface of theidols. In the Peristephanon of Prude
The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . St. Peters at Rome, it would seem that little of the much-vaunted treasure is now in existence. 138 THE MARTYRS OF It was customary among the Romans to tear thesides of malefactors with the ungula; the Christianscomplained that in their own case, the judgesordered them to be torn on other parts of theperson. But Tertullian fancifully contrasts thelaceration of a Christians sides with the cuttingand hewing inflicted on the whole surface of theidols. In the Peristephanon of Prudentius, the in-strument is named in almost every page. Woundsinflicted by the ungula were called bisulca, or con-sisting of two furrows. Another instrument ofthe same kind is given by The Vatican museum contains several pretendedspecimens of the torturing weapons : they are toonew-looking to have deceived even the Romanantiquarians. With this may be compared a hook engravedupon a Pagan tombstone, and published by Gruter.(p. 810.) Q. NAVICVLARISVICTORINVS It cannot be pretended that the instrument ofexecution was displayed upon the gravestone of aPagan, as there was no credit in having suffered asan ordinary malefactor. The point is so turned
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectchristianartandsymbolism
