Augustine postulates on why the angels were positioned as they were in the tomb

For look she did, “and saw two angels in white, sitting, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” Why is it that one was sitting at the head, and the other at the feet? Was it, since those who in Greek are called angels are in Latin nuntii [in English, news-bearers], that in this way they signified that the gospel of Christ was to be preached from head to foot, from the beginning even to the end? ^a

1. St. Augustine: Homilies on the Gospel of John; Homilies on the First Epistle of John; Soliloquies  (back)