The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . 137 and some ungulae have been discovered in the mar-tyrs graves. Babylas, having died in chains, wasburied with them. Symeon Stylites, according toa legend, was interred along with his iron bed,and the chains of St. Peter were found beside hiscorpse. These doubtful traditions may be opposed by thefact, that we have no historical evidence that it wasthe custom of the Church to bury instruments oftorture or of death with the martyrs. The habit ofdesigning the emblems of a trade
The church in the catacombs : a description of the primitive church of Rome : illustrated by its sepulchral remains . 137 and some ungulae have been discovered in the mar-tyrs graves. Babylas, having died in chains, wasburied with them. Symeon Stylites, according toa legend, was interred along with his iron bed,and the chains of St. Peter were found beside hiscorpse. These doubtful traditions may be opposed by thefact, that we have no historical evidence that it wasthe custom of the Church to bury instruments oftorture or of death with the martyrs. The habit ofdesigning the emblems of a trade or profession uponthe tombstone, was, on the contrary, extremelycommon, as will be seen in the chapter treating ofsymbols: and to inclose in the tomb itself objectsof the toilette, childrens playthings, &c., was a hea-then custom, universally adopted by the Christians. The supposed fragment of an ungula, or hookedforceps, here represented, was found in the Cata-combs in the time of Paul III.: accordingto report it was of iron, and had the remains ofwooden handles: it is figured in most works on 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 Aringhi.
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