Flavius Iulius Catervius
Flavius Iulius Catervius and his wife Septimia Severina are saints of the Catholic Church, their feast day is December 10th. The mausoleum with its sarcophagus is located in the Cathedral of San Catervo in Tolentino . Catervius is the city's patron saint. As a prefect, he is said to have died a martyr's death with his wife and their son, Bassus.
The sarcophagus
The stone coffin made of marble is decorated on all four sides. The middle of the front shows a shaft carrier, flanked by Peter and Paul . The motif of the shank bearer was already known in pre-Christian times and, as a neutral representation, is also common in the context of the bucolic , but is interpreted here in the context of the Good Shepherd . On one short side the adoration of the magicians is shown, on the other the magicians before Herod. On the reverse there is a picture of the couple in a clipeus , which is accompanied by two doves and two Christograms . The two shake hands in the style of the Roman couple ( dextrarium iunctio ). Remnants of the ancient painting could be observed. The sarcophagus is dated to the 2nd half or late 4th century AD. During this time, however, there was no longer any persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
The sarcophagus has been opened several times since 1455, as evidenced by documents inside. On these occasions other objects were also left in the stone coffin, such as numerous coins , rosaries, medallions and probably two distaffs with preserved fibers. During the excavation, two skeletons were found that had been covered with a cloth on the occasion of one of the younger openings.
The epitaph
The grave inscription can be found centrally above the shaft support.
"Fl IVL CATERVIVS EX PRAEF PRAETORIO QVI / VIXIT CVM SEPTIMIA SEVERINA CF DVLCISSIMA / CONIVGE ANNIS XVI MINVS D XIII QVIEVIT IN PACE / ANNORVM L VI DIERVMINA XVIII XVI KAL NOB DEPO / SITVS CF (III heder SEVERO distinguished) DVLCISSIMO AC SIBI SARCOFAGVM / ET PANTEVM CVM TRICORO ET PERFECIT "
Accordingly, Catervius held the office of Praefectus praetorio , so belonged to the group of the highest-ranking civil administrative officials in late antiquity . He was married for 16 years and died at the age of 56.
literature
Aldo Nestori: Il mausoleo e il sarcofago di Flavius Iulius Catervius a Tolentino. Monumenti di Antichità Cristiana II series vol. 13. Vatican City 1996. ISBN 88-85991-17-3
Individual evidence
- ↑ Entry in the ecumenical dictionary of saints
- ↑ Nestori p. 97 f.
- ↑ Nestori p. 1 ff.