Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 190
? 183 Their first main centre was in Rome, another in Antioch and the third centre was in Alexandria. In all the three centres, Christian missionaries used to be assaulted and the enemy would either kill them or hurt them. Because of these recurring attacks, Christians would take to hiding in their houses or run away to suburban villages or make hide-outs underground. In those days some people used to make their sepulchres underground and would excavate stones for the purpose from the earth. Christians would clear up the cavities that were made after excavating stones and make their quarters there. There are many such places in Rome where Christians took refuge for a long time. These are called catacombs. There are still extant many pictures which they drew to keep their religious zeal or the memory of their martyrs alive. Similarly, there are tomb stones giving the identity of the person and the incidents leading to his martyrdom. I have seen a part of these catacombs. I could not see the whole of the area. It is spread over seventy miles. In brief, a view of the catacombs gives an idea of the ancient history of Christianity; for, the catacombs put into perspective the picture of tyrannies that preceded the expansion of Christianity and the inscriptions on tablets and the drawings reveal the beliefs of the Christians of the age. In the third century of the Christian era, the Emperor of Rome had embraced Christianity and Christianity gained strength henceforward.