Abstract
IN an article published two years ago1 I devoted a few words to the present generally deplorable condition of Early Christian sarcophagi. All those in the catacombs, if they happened to be in places which were conspicuous and of easy access, were already reduced to pieces in antiquity.2 The barbarians known generically under the name of Getae, before they undertook the assault and sack of Rome, penetrated into the sacred cemeteries and sacrilego verterunt corde sepulcra. These are the words of Pope Vigilius in the commemorative inscription which he composed about 550, recording the damage done and his own efforts at repair, since he hostibus expulsis omne novavit opus.3 From this “renovation” are however to be excluded the broken sarcophagi which were never re-made or restored.
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