1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,040 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, technically you're getting two days in History today 2 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: because we're running two episodes from the History Vault. I 3 00:00:05,880 --> 00:00:11,120 Speaker 1: hope you enjoy. Hi. I'm Eves, and welcome to this 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, a show that uncovers a little 5 00:00:14,240 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: bit more about history every day. The day was made 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: thirty one, sixteen sixty nine, English naval administrator Samuel Peeps 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: wrote his last diary entry. His diary entries documented key 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: events in English history, and Peeps has become known for 9 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: his writings on these events, as well as his commentary 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: on life in mid seventeenth century London and his own life. 11 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: Samuel was born in London on February six thirty three 12 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 1: and to a family of modest means. He attended Cambridge 13 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: University on a scholarship, and he graduated with a bachelors 14 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: degree in sixteen fifty three. Two years later, when he 15 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: was twenty two, he married Elizabeth St. Michel, who was 16 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: fourteen years old at the time. Through his father's cousin, 17 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: Edward Montague, Peeps had gotten a job as a secretary, 18 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: and over the years he worked his way up through 19 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: governmental post in the Navy, reaching the position of Chief 20 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: Secretary of the Admiralty. Samuel and Elizabeth had a turbulent relationship. 21 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: Both were dealing with health issues. Peeps showed jealousy about 22 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: the attention she got from other men, and he had 23 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: many affairs. Peeps had bladderstones removed in a surgery in 24 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: March of sixteen fifty eight, and in his first diary 25 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: entry on January first, sixteen sixty he wrote about his recovery. 26 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: Blessed be God. At the end of the last year, 27 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: I was in very good health, without any sense of 28 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: my old pain. But upon taking of cold I lived 29 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: of an axe yard, having my wife and servant Jane, 30 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: and no more in the family than us three. Some 31 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: of his most notable diary entries are about the Great 32 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: Plague and the Great Fire of London. On September three, 33 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: six sixty five, he wrote the following up and put 34 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,839 Speaker 1: on my colored silk suit, very fine, and my new 35 00:02:21,919 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 1: perry wig bought a good while since. But durst not where, 36 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: because the plague was in Westminster when I bought it. 37 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: And it is a wonder what will be the fashion 38 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: after the plague is done as to perry wigs, For 39 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: nobody will dare to buy any hair for fear of 40 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: the infection that it had been cut off the heads 41 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: of people dead of the plague. He chronicled the death 42 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: tolls in the plague, and on the second of September 43 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,679 Speaker 1: and sixteen sixty six, he wrote about Londoner's terror and 44 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 1: the fire that began tearing through the city that day. 45 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: Samuel also wrote about the restoration, the Second Anglo Dutch War, 46 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: the navy, his affairs, and other details of his personal 47 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: life and his diary. Peeps beat his servants, and he 48 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: wrote about his sexual advances that would today be considered 49 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 1: sexual abuse. But by sixteen sixty nine he feared his 50 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: eyesight was getting much worse and decided to stop writing 51 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 1: his entries. On May thirty one, almost a decade after 52 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: his first diary entry, Peeps wrote his last entry. It said, 53 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: in part, and thus ends all that I doubt I 54 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: shall ever be able to do with my own eyes 55 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: and the keeping of my journal, I being not able 56 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,520 Speaker 1: to do it any longer, having done now so long 57 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: as to undo my eyes almost every time that I 58 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: take a pit in my hand, and therefore whatever comes 59 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: of it, I must forbear, and therefore resolve from this 60 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: time forward to have it kept by my people in Longhand, 61 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: and must therefore be contented to sit down no more 62 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: than is fit for them in all the world to know. 63 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 1: Peepe's wife, Elizabeth, died later that year of some sort 64 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: of fever. After the couple went on a trip to 65 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: France and the Low Countries. Peeps went on to become 66 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: a member of Parliament. He also helped build up the 67 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: strength of the Royal Navy. Accusations that he was secretly 68 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: Catholic abounded, and he resigned from his work with the Admiralty. 69 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 1: He continued to travel, worked as a secretary, and eventually 70 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: was elected president of the Royal Society, an institution that 71 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: promotes science. Peep's died in May of seventeen oh three. 72 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,320 Speaker 1: His diary entries were written in Shorthand, and the diary 73 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:42,640 Speaker 1: contains more than a million words. Parts of the diary 74 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 1: were first published in eighteen Early versions of the diary 75 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:52,200 Speaker 1: were censored for profanity and content deemed inappropriate, though uncensored 76 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: editions are available today. I'm each Deathcote, and hopefully you 77 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did 78 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:03,799 Speaker 1: yes your day. If you like to learn more about 79 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: Samuel Peeps, you can listen to the episode of stuff 80 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: you missed in History class called Samuel Peeps Beyond the Diary. 81 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: And if you love listening to stories about people in history, 82 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: there's a good chance you'd enjoy Unpopular, a new podcast 83 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: I host about people who took a stand against the 84 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: status quo to create meaningful change. You can listen and 85 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: subscribe on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or 86 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to This Day in History Class. Thanks 87 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: for joining me on this trip through history. See you 88 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: here same place tomorrow. Hey, y'all, I'm Eves and welcome 89 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: to This Day in History Class, a podcast that uncovers 90 00:05:53,000 --> 00:06:03,120 Speaker 1: history one day at a time. The day was made 91 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 1: thirty one fifty eight. The Roman catacombs were rediscovered by accident. 92 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: The origin of the term catacomb is unclear. It was 93 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,880 Speaker 1: previously thought that the Roman catacombs were sandpits or stone quarries. 94 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: It was also once thought that Christians used them as 95 00:06:20,120 --> 00:06:23,679 Speaker 1: secret meeting places for worship, but this was most likely 96 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: not the case. The Roman catacombs date back to the 97 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: first century CE. Back then, Jewish people in Rome used 98 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: them as cemeteries, but by the next century Christians were 99 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: also using catacombs as burial tunnels. In ancient Rome, bodies 100 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: could not be buried within city limits. Pagans cremated corpses, 101 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: but Christians and Jewish people buried the dead. At the time, 102 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: Christians in Jewish people faced persecution in Rome, where people 103 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: worshiped an increasing number of deities, and Rome was overpopulated. 104 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: In Land was expensive, so they decided to take their 105 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: cemeteries under ground. The catacombs were built into tufo, which 106 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: is a type of rock made from volcanic ash. Because 107 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: the tufoe was soft, the catacombs were relatively easy to build. Laculi, 108 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: or burial niches, were carved into walls to accommodate bodies. 109 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: During the second and third centuries, the use of catacombs 110 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: in Rome expanded. Some catacombs can be traced back to 111 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: individuals or private families, while others belonged to churches. The 112 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: Edict of Milan, passed in three thirteen under Emperor Constantine 113 00:07:30,920 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: the First and Emperor Licinius, granted religious tolerance to Christians 114 00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,600 Speaker 1: in the Roman Empire. It also established that everybody had 115 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: the right to worship the deities of their choice, and 116 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: in three eight Christianity became a state religion. Some people 117 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: still buried corpses in the underground chambers, but burials eventually 118 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 1: moved above ground, and by the fifth century the use 119 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: of catacombs as burial grounds had declined, but they were 120 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: still used as sites where people could go for martyrs 121 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: memorial services. Over the years, the catacombs were subject to 122 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: many lootings. The relics of Christian martyrs and saints that 123 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: remained were moved from the catacombs to city churches. By 124 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: the Middle Ages, the catacombs have been abandoned and largely forgotten, 125 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: but on May thirty one, fift seventy eight, laborers digging 126 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: on the Via Salaria discovered an underground cemetery. Some people 127 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: recognized the importance of the find, but many dismissed the discovery. 128 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: Scholar Antonio Bosio realized the importance of the discovery and 129 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: in fifteen ninety three began exploring the catacombs. Bosio's book 130 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: Describing the Catacombs Roma, was published in sixteen thirty two. 131 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: After his death. After the book's publication, valuable items were 132 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: stolen out of the catacombs. Some of the catacombs Bosio 133 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: described have since been destroyed. Archaeologists Giovanni Battista de Rossi 134 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: did further research on the catacombs in the nineteenth century 135 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:04,080 Speaker 1: and helped develop the field of Christian archaeology. Since the 136 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: catacombs are home to early Christian frescoes, they are considered 137 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: important in the study of art history. Some of the 138 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 1: catacombs in Rome are open to the public. I'm Eve 139 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: step Coote and hopefully you know a little more about 140 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: history today than you did yesterday. And if you have 141 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 1: any kind words you'd like to send us or any 142 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: suggestions for future episodes, you can send them to us 143 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,840 Speaker 1: at this day at I heeart media dot com. You 144 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: can also hit us up on social media where at 145 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 1: t d I h C podcast. Thanks so much for 146 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: listening to the show and we'll see you tomorrow. For 147 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 148 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.