AIANOS PAPHLAGON THEOU
DOULOS PISTOS
EKOIMNON EN EIPNIN MINSON
AUTOU
O THEOS EIS TOUS AIONAS]
Aurelius Aelianus, a Paphlagonian, faithful
servant of God. He sleeps in peace. Remember
him, O God, forever!
Again, two sons ask for their mother,--
DOMINE NE QVANDO
ADVMBRETVR SPIRITVS
VENERES
O Lord, let not the spirit of Venus be shadowed
at any time!
From such petitions as these we come by a natural transition to such as
are addressed to the dead themselves, as being members of the same
communion with the living, and uniting in prayers with those they had left
on earth and for their sake.
VIBAS IN PACE ET PETE PRO NOBIS
Mayst thou live in peace and ask for us!
Or, as in another instance,--
PETE PRO PARENTES TVOS
MATRONATA MATRONA
QVE VIXIT AN. I. DI. LII.
Pray for thy parents, Matronata Matrona!
Who lived one year, fifty-two days.
And as we have seen how in the fourth century the desire arose of being
buried near the graves of those reputed holy, so by a similar process we
find this simple and affectionate petition to the dead passing into a
prayer for the dead to those under whose protection it was hoped that they
might be. In the multitude of epitaphs, however, these form but a small
number. Here is one that begins with a heathen formula:--
SOMNO HETERNALI
AVRELIVS GEMELLVS QVI BIXIT AN--
ET MESES VIII DIES XVIII MATER FILIO
CARISSIMO BENAEMERENTI FECIT IN PA--
[C]ONMANDO BASSILA INNOCENTIA GEMELLI
In Eternal Sleep.
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