ion for
students. Poor as they are in epitaphs and works of art, they contain
hundreds of names of celebrated humanists, archaeologists, and artists
who explored these depths in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries,
and made record of their visits. When one walks between two lines of
graves, in the almost oppressive stillness of the cemetery, with no
other company than one's thoughts, the names of Pomponius Letus and
his academicians, of Bosio, Panvinio, Avanzini, Severano, Marangoni,
Marchi, and d'Agincourt, written in bold letters, give the lonely
wanderer the impression of meeting living and dear friends; and one
wonders at the great love which these pioneers of "humanism" must have
had for antiquities, to have spent days and days, and to have held
their conferences and banquets, in places like these.

In chapter i., page 10, of "Ancient Rome," I mentioned Pomponio's
Academy, and its visits to the crypts of Callixtus. Since the
publication of my book, the subject has been investigated again and
illustrated by Giacomo Lombroso[173] and de Rossi.[174] It appears
that after the trial which the Academicians underwent at the time of
Paul II., and their unexpected liberation from the Castle of S.
Angelo, they decided to turn over a new leaf. From a fraternity which
was pagan in manners and instincts, which had made itself conspicuous
by the use of profane language, and by the celebration of profane
meetings over the tombs of the martyrs, they became the "Societas
literatorum S. Victoris et sociorum in Esquiliis," a literary society
under the patronage of S. Victor and his companion saints, namely,
Fortunatus and Genesius. Their _pontifex maximus_ became a president;
their _sacerdos_ a priest, whose duty it was to say mass on certain
anniversaries. The most important celebration fell, as before, on
April 21, the birthday of Rome. We have a description by an
eye-witness, Jacopo Volaterrano, of that which took place in 1483: "On
the Esquiline,[175] near the house of Pomponius, the society of
literary men has celebrated the birthday of Rome. Divine service was
performed by Peter Demetrius of Lucca; Paul Marsus delivered the
oration. The dinner was served in the hall adjoining the chapel of S.
Salvatore de Cornutis," etc. In 1501, after the death of Pomponius,
the anniversary meetings were held on the Capitol; the solemn mass was
sung in the church of the Aracoeli, while the banquet took place in
the Palazzo dei Conservatori.