The Catacomb(s) of Pontian is one of the

catacombs of Rome The Catacombs of Rome ( it, Catacombe di Roma) are ancient catacombs, underground burial places in and around Rome, of which there are at least forty, some rediscovered only in recent decades. Though most famous for Christian burials, either i ...

on the

Via Portuensis Via Portuensis was an ancient Roman road, leading to the Portus constructed by Claudius on the right bank of the Tiber, at its mouth. It started from the Pons Aemilius, and the first part of its course is identical with that of the Via Campana. Th ...

, notable for containing the original tombs of

Pope Anastasius I The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

(399–401) and his son

Pope Innocent I Pope Innocent I ( la, Innocentius I) was the bishop of Rome from 401 to his death on 12 March 417. From the beginning of his papacy, he was seen as the general arbitrator of ecclesiastical disputes in both the East and the West. He confirmed the ...

(401–417).Reardon, 2004, p. 38. The Catacomb was discovered by famed Italian explorer

Antonio Bosio Antonio Bosio (c. 1575 or 1576 – 1629) was a Maltese scholar, the first systematic explorer of subterranean Rome (the "Columbus of the Catacombs"), author of ''Roma Sotterranea'' and first urban spelunker. Life Bosio was born in Malta, ...

in 1618. Both Anastasius I and Innocent I were traditionally regarded as martyrs, but this is now regarded as dubious, due to the lack of a contemporaneous persecution. In the ninth century,

Pope Sergius II Pope Sergius II ( la, Sergius II; died 27 January 847) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from January 844 to his death in 847. Sergius II's pontificate saw the Arab raid against Rome as well as the city's redevelopment. Rise B ...

moved the bodies of both popes to

San Martino ai Monti San Martino ai Monti, officially known as Santi Silvestro e Martino ai Monti ("Saints Sylvester & Martin in the Mountains"), is a minor basilica in Rome, Italy, in the Rione Monti neighbourhood. It is located near the edge of the Parco del Colle ...

in an effort to save them from destruction during the Lombard invasion. The catacomb does not contain the tomb of

Pope Pontian Pope Pontian ( la, Pontianus; died October 235) was the bishop of Rome from 21 July 230 to 28 September 235.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1911). "Pope St. Pontian" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company. In 235, duri ...

, who was interred in the

Catacomb of Callixtus The Catacomb(s) of Callixtus (also known as the Cemetery of Callixtus) is one of the Catacombs of Rome on the Appian Way, most notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes (Italian: ''Cappella dei Papi''), which once contained the tombs of seve ...

, nor is it named after him; rather it is named after an unknown third-century Christian martyr.Marucchi, Orazio. 2003. ''Manual of Christian Archeology''. p. 151. Other notable remains in the Catacomb include: Saints

Abdon and Sennen Saints Abdon and Sennen, variously written in early calendars and martyrologies Abdo, Abdus, and Sennes, Sennis, Zennen, are recognized by the Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest ...

, martyrs Milix and Vincent,

Saint Pollio Pollio of Cybalae or Pullio of Cybalae (3rd century) is venerated as a Christian martyr who may have been executed for his faith during the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian. It is thought that he may have been a lector in the city of ''Cybalae'' ...

Saint Candida Saint Candida the Elder ( it, Candida la Vecchia) (died 78 AD) was a supposed early Christian saint and resident of Naples, Italy. According to her legend, Candida was an elderly woman who hospitably welcomed Saint Peter the Apostle, when he wa ...

Saint Pigmenius In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

, and Saint Quirinus of Rome. The Catacomb contains a fifth/sixth-century fresco of Saints

Marcellinus and Peter Saints Marcellinus and Peter (sometimes called ''Petrus Exorcista'' - Peter the Exorcist;Alban Butler, Kathleen Jones, Paul Burns, ''Butler's Lives of the Saints'' (Continuum International Publishing Group, 1997), 14. it, Marcellino e Pietro) are ...

along with Saint Pollio, as well as an ancient baptistry containing a painting of the crowning of Abdon and Sennen.

Notes

References

* Reardon, Wendy J. 2004. ''The Deaths of the Popes''. Macfarland & Company, Inc. {{DEFAULTSORT:Catacomb Of Pontian Pontian Papal tombs