Notes on Exuperantia

In the last line of the previous inscription, the letters "P.M." appear.  I'm not familiar with what this abbreviation means, exactly.  The German in the book in which this appears seems to translate this as "ungefahr", which, as far as I can figure out, means "not dangerously", so I translated it as "safely".

Anyone out there knowledge on German, or what the "P.M." might actually stand for?

Exuperantia

† EXVPERANTIA D. XV. KL. SEPT.

HIC DEPOSITA EST IN PACE ROME, QVAE

BIXIT P. M. MENSES III.

† Exuperantia Dies XV. Kalendas Septembris

Hic Depostia Est In Pace Romae, Quae

vixit P. M. Menses III.

Exuperantia was buried here at Rome in peace

on the 15th day of the Kalends of September.

She lived safely for 3 months.

(p. 34)

Januarius

IANVARIO DIGNO FILIO

PARENTES FECERVNT,

QVI VIXIT ANNIS VI

QVIESCIT IN PACE AETERNA

Ianuario digno filio

parentes fecerunt,

qui vixit annis VI

quiescit in aeterna

For Januarius, their worthy son,

his parents made (this monument),

who lived for six years.

He rests in everlasting  peace.

(p.245)

What is a neophyte?

Neophyte (neophytoi, the newly planted, i.e. incorporated with the mystic Body of Christ), a term applied in theology to all those who have lately entered upon a new and higher state or condition of life, e.g. those who have begun the ecclesiastical life, or have joined a religious order. More particularly is it used of those who, lately converted from heathenism, have by the sacrament of Baptism, been transplanted into the higher life of the Church.

From The Catholic Encyclopedia.

Flavia Jovina

FL. IOVINA , QVAE VIXIT

ANNIS TRIBUS D. XXXII DEPOS

NEOFITA IN PACE XI CAL. OCTOB.

Flavia Jovina, quae vixit

annis tribus dies XXXII depos(ita)

neofita in pace XI Cal. Octob.

Flavia Jovina, who lived

three years 32 days, buried

a neophyte in peace the 11th of the Kalends of October.

(p. 290)

The original St. Peter's Basilica

Most people are probably not aware of the fact that the present St. Peter's is not the original church, but was built on the site of a church which was planned and begun by Constantine in 330 AD and which stood for almost 1200 years until the present basilica was built from 1506 to 1626.

At left is a drawing of the nave of Old St. Peter's.  The nave was 340 feet long, and had two aisles on either side, much like the Mission San Juan Bautista.  For comparison, the current St. Peter's is 730 feet long.

Here is the outer facade of Old St. Peter's.  Its asymmetrical design is only one of the things that appear odd to us who are used to Bramante, Michaelangleo, and Bernini's designs.  There was also a large colonnaded atrium between the outer and inner facades.

At left is the inner facade, which one would face after entering through the outer facade pictured above.


Finally, below is a diagram showing the original location of Nero's Circus (green), the location of Old St. Peter's (brown), and the current Basilica with buildings of the present (gray).  The reason why the basilicas are slightly offset from where the circus was, and where St. Peter was crucified, is explained in GREAT detail at saintpetersbasilica.org

There is a wealth of material available about the original site of St. Peter's death, how early Christians kept the relics of the Apostle during the first 3 centuries, and how the site was treated and eventually selected and prepared for the construction of the basilica after the accession of Constantine as Emperor and his proclamation of Christianity as the Empire's official religion.