The first columbaria was for the servants or officers of the imperial family, and dates from Augustus to Nero, both inclusive. The second dates from Julius Cæsar to Tiberius. The historic notices of some of those names are valuable.
S. Paul, writing to the Romans from Corinth, A.D. 60, says, "Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord" (Rom. xvi. 12).
Writing from Rome to the Colossians, A.D. 64, he says, "With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother" (Col. iv. 9); and to Philemon: "I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds" (Phil. 10). In Colossians i. 7: "As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant;" and in iv. 12 we have: "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ"—who is again mentioned in Philemon: "There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 23).
Now, these names are uncommon, and we only have them mentioned by S. Paul, and engraved on these marble slabs, which slabs are in the columbaria of the freedmen of the Cæsars, agreeing in date with the time of S. Paul's letters; who himself preached to, and had converts amongst, the household of Cæsar, in the imperial palace upon the Palatine Hill. He says, writing to the Philippians, "So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places" (Phil. i. 13). And (iv. 22), "All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Cæsar's household."
The name Valeria was taken, when she obtained her freedom, from her mistress, the Empress Messalina (whose name was Valeria). These names do not cover their own ashes—with the exception of that to Onesimus and Epaphras—but are memorial-stones erected to fellow-servants, who, if we may judge from the "D.M." over the inscriptions, were not Christians.
They record a work of charity and love to fellow-servants, though not co-religionists; and the names mentioned may well be those likewise named by S. Paul, with the exception of Onesimus, who was sent back to his master.
The names Tryphena and Tryphosa occur before the coming of Paul to Rome, and these, with some others mentioned by him (Rom. xvi.), were found on slabs in another columbaria, about a mile further on, on the Via Appia, discovered in 1726, and known as the Columbaria of the servants of Livia Augusta. It is now a complete ruin—one wall only remaining—and some of the inscriptions are in the Capitol Museum.
The following names, according to Gruter, p. 1070, No. 1, and p. 656, No. 1, were there, but they are now lost:—
AMPLIAS . URBANUS . APELLES . TRYPHANE . TRYPHOSA . RUFUS . HERMES . PATROBAS . HERMAS . PHILOLOGUS . JULIA . NEREUS.
These are the names probably of some members of the church founded by Priscilla and Aquila, whom Paul greets in writing to Rome, but who are not mentioned again by him after his arrival in Rome. They possibly were no longer living, and the church was dispersed under Claudius, Aquila and Priscilla, whom Paul salutes in his second letter to Timothy (iv. 19), going to Corinth (Acts xviii. 2).