PAMPHILUS CEMETERY. - Located in that stretch of the Via Salaria Vetere that today corresponds to the Via Giovanni Paisiello. The Notitia Ecclesiarum mentions only the martyr P., at 24 steps below ground; the de locis adds the martyrs Candidus and Quirinus along with many others, but at 80 steps underground; the Notitia portarum mentions P. and Quirinus at a depth of 70 steps; the ensidienne mentions only the first, indicating him as buried on the right side of the Via Salaria Vetere.
The cemetery was situated closer to Rome than that of Bassilla, on the same road, and further west than that of Maximus, located on the Via Salaria Nova. Identified on 9 March 1920, it consists of two main levels and one intermediate level. A part of the first level was explored on 16 May 1594 by Pompeo Ugonio and by Antonio Bosio (A. Bosio, Roma sotterranea, Rome 1632, pp. 559-60); this region is later than the intermediate level and than the second level, situated at a depth of about 20 m, which is reached by a single-flight staircase that had about 70 steps and thus struck the authors of the itineraries.
On the first level the great cubiculum was rediscovered, with its vault supported by four masonry pillars, and an arcosolium with the divine lamb nimbed between two sheep and the ark of Noah with the raven and the dove (mid-4th century), already seen by P. Ugonio and A. Bosio. On the intermediate level there is an intact gallery, with the majority of the loculi for children and with many objects placed as identifying signs. The second level presents a regular excavation with many intact galleries and loculi closed by tiles, over which a layer of plaster was applied that often received inscriptions in red ochre. Mention is made of those of a ΓΟΡΓΟΝΙΑ with the anchor and the fish; of a BACOA ΧΑΡΑ ΦΙΑΗΜΟΝΟC ΨΥΧΗ; of a "Flavia Prima Aureli Semni Amevania, Dominus refrigeret spiritum tuum, Micirita Kara"; of a ΤΡΥΦΟΝ ΕΝ ΚΥΡΙΟ ΚΟΙΜ(ατα), that is, Tryphon who sleeps in the Lord; of an "Ilara Septimia" to whom the invitation is addressed "pete pro me, pete pro marito tuo, pro Alexandria"; on the tomb of a Lucernius, servant of Christ, the cross, the lamp and a lighted candle are depicted twice, symbols of his name. On the tomb of the little girl Apronianete, who lived 5 years and 5 months, was inscribed: "Aproniane, crededisti in Deo, vives in ΧΡ (in Christo)". In one gallery the wall already occupied by loculi was later cut away in order to excavate a double cubiculum; in the second, set against the rear arcosolium, a block altar of masonry was placed, faced with slabs of porphyry and pavonazzetto, with the fenestella at the bottom. The plastered walls were covered with graffiti by presbyters ("Johannes, Grimoaldus, Istefanus, Anastasius"), by clerics "Martinus acolothus sanctae romanae ecclesiae", "Paschalis neapolitanus", and by a "Maiulus monachus peccator". Lead lamp-holders and glass lamps were also found. This is undoubtedly the tomb of a martyr (P.?) who was deposited in this double cubiculum specially excavated. In the right wall two chairs were cut, and in the floor, entirely occupied by formae, in front of the two chairs, a marble slab was found with the following epitaph composed of inlaid porphyry letters: "In Deo patrem omnipotentem fecit Vitalio libertus una cum Quodvisideus domino suo Taecifilo et domine Pontianeti merentibus in refrigerium". In the gallery that led to this double cubiculum an apsidal niche was made, in which was painted the Madonna with the Child and the inscription in white letters + SCA DEI GENETRIX intercede PRO NOBIS, of the same type as the image painted in a niche in the cemetery of St. Valentine (v.) on the Via Flaminia. Above it were read graffiti names of the presbyters Gaido, Christophorus and Andreas, the same who placed their names on the image of St. Luke (668-85) in Commodilla. But the image in this cemetery was barbarously defaced by the excavating workers in February 1920.
During the explorations 64 Roman imperial coins were found, namely 55 on the second level, 8 on the intermediate level and 1 on the first level; the oldest is a sestertius of Trajan (98-117) found among the earth.
In situ on the second level the latest datings are offered by seven examples of a denarius of Aurelian and three denarii of Severina (270-75), all ten found fixed in one and the same loculus; and by an Antoninianus of Probus (276-82); on the intermediate level the coins in situ of Maximian Herculius and of Galerius Caesar were found.