[Footnote N:  Another curious point was made by De Rossi previously to the commencement of the explorations.  It illustrates the accuracy of his acquaintance with the underground archaeology.  In one of the itineraries it was said, speaking of the burial-place of Cornelius, that here also St. Cyprian was buried.  Now, as is well known, Cyprian was buried in Africa, where he had suffered martyrdom.  His martyrdom took place on the same day with that of Cornelius, though in another year; and their memories were consequently celebrated by the Church on the same day, the 16th of September.  De Rossi declared, that, if he discovered the tomb of St. Cornelius, he should find near it something which would explain the error of the itinerary in stating that Cyprian’s grave also was here.  And such proved to be the fact.  On the wall, by the side of the grave, was found a painting of Cornelius, with his name, “S[=c][=s] Cornelius,” and by the side of this figure was another painting of a bishop in his robes, with the letters “S[=c][=s] Ciprianus.”]

[Transcriber’s note:  Here and below the = sign is used to indicate an overscore.]

The work was scarcely begun, before an ancient stairway, long ago buried under accumulated earth and rubbish, was discovered, leading down to the second story of the catacombs.  The passages into which it opened were filled with earth, but, as this was cleared away, a series of chambers of unusual size, reaching almost to the surface of the soil, was entered upon.  At the right a wide door led into a large chapel.  The walls were covered with rudely scratched names and inscriptions, some in Greek and some in Latin.  De Rossi, whose eyes were practised in the work, undertook to decipher these often obscure scribblings.  They were for the most part the inscriptions of the pilgrims who had visited these places, and their great number gave proof that this was a most important portion of the cemetery.  The majority of these were simply names, or names accompanied with short expressions of piety.  Many, for instance, were in such form as this,—­[Greek:  Elaphin eis mneian echete],—­“Keep Elaphis in remembrance.”  Many were expressions of devotion, written by the pilgrims for the sake of those who were dear to them, as,—­Vivat in Domino, “May he live in the Lord”; Pet[ite] ut Verecundus cum suis bene naviget, “Seek that Verecundus with his companions may voyage prosperously.”  The character of the writing, the names and the style, indicate that these inscriptions belong mostly to the third and fourth centuries.  Among these writings on the wall were one or two which confirmed De Rossi in the opinion that this must be the sepulchre in which the greater number of the popes of the third century had been buried.  Carefully preserving all the mass of rubbish which was taken from the chamber, he set himself to its examination, picking out from it all the bits and fragments of marble, upon many of which letters or portions of letters were cut.