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Catacombs of Rome

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Catacombs of Rome
The Catacombs of Rome The Christians in Rome built the catacombs for the firm believers of the Christian faith. They devoted their lives for their beliefs in Christianity, dying when the Romans were persecuting Christians for not worshipping the Roman Gods. Christian religion moved literally underground and was practiced in secret at its beginnings in ancient Rome because of the persecutions. During this time, the catacombs beneath the city, which were built to house the dead, became a place where underground religion was practiced in secret in fear of the Romans and to be closer to the martyrs who died for their faith.
The religion of the early Christians was literally carved into stone of the walls in the catacombs. In these Roman catacombs you can find an abundance of artifacts, fragments of marble and stone, inscriptions, and biblical images expressing the basic theological beliefs of the Christian faith. (“Religion and…”). The catacombs demonstrate how the early Christians adopted the important beliefs of the Christian faith. They testified their faith everywhere, but it was in the catacombs that those heroic Christians found the strength and support to face the trials and persecutions, as they prayed to God through the martyrs ' intercession. (“The Catacombs…”).
The catacombs of Rome are a very unique and unusual place, unlike anything else in the world because of their vast art, inscriptions, and artifacts that were found. The secrecy that the Christians had about the catacombs is what’s the most fascinating in which they kept these massive catacombs secret from the Romans. Romans did not bury their dead, but cremated them because in the ancient Roman times, tombs were believed to be a home for the dead, who were not completely cut off from the living. There were numerous burials grounds with various sizes and shapes. In early times, the tombs were often shaped like an early Roman house. These were used for anniversary feasts and cremation sites. They



Cited: "Early Christian Art." Early Christian Art (Symbols, Catacombs, Typology). N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. "Early Christian Catacombs, Rome ." Early Christian Catacombs. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. "Religion and the Catacombs - CIC." Religion and the Catacombs - CIC. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. "Rome Exposed - The Romans and Their Dead." Rome Exposed - The Romans and Their Dead. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. "The Catacombs: Importance." EarlyChristians.org || Catacombs - Importance. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. "What 's Inside Rome 's Ancient Catacombs?" National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. Brower, Elena. "Understanding Why We Keep Secrets." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 May 2011. Web. 23 Oct. 2012. Sealy, Amanda. "Loving Life in Paris ' Empire of the Dead - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 31 Oct. 2012. Simmel, Georg. BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.

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