Summary 4- In The Catacombs

In the middle of the third century, the catacombs under Rome began to grow and the system for digging out the catacombs and burying the dead became more complex. It is estimated that there are about 6.5 million people buried in the catacombs, which consisted of pagan, Jewish and Christian burials. In the middle of the third century, the Christian burials increased, and some of the burials and tombs were very elaborate with paintings and frescoes. The art in the catacombs symbolized a Christian tradition in art and as Christian art was seen more and more in Roman society, Christians had a more prominent role in Roman society in general. The catacombs may have also played a role in Christian worship, because they provided a place a place for Christians to hide and worship when they were being persecuted. They also provided a place for Christians to hold meals for the dead, where families would hold a meal in memory of the person who died. In most of the art, Jesus is portrayed as a healer who is usually healing members of the lower class, which may have helped Christianity spread because at first Jesus was portrayed as a regular person who was helping people.