3. - Remains to Be Seen (or, On the Holy Corpse)

Summary

Was the corpse considered polluted or holy in fourth-century Rome? I argue in Chapter 3 that unlike other fourth-century Christians elsewhere, Roman Christians refrained from fetishizing the corpse as a precious object. Only much later, in the wake of the Reformation, did Catholics come to regard the holy corpse with new fascination and ardent devotion. It was during this era that catacomb discovery and renovation began in earnest. This charnel piety redoubled again in the late nineteenth century, once again driving catacomb exploration and excavation, bringing with it a distinctively corporeal valuation of martyrs.