Book of the Pontiffs 1 part 5/5

Likewise at Saint Mary's he constructed from the foundation the oratory of the holy ones Cosmas and Damian. 10. Likewise on the Tribune Way, at the 27th milestone from the city of Rome, being asked by the illustrious Albinus and Glaphyra, who acted at their own expense from the foundation, he dedicated a basilica to the blessed Peter on the estate Pacinianum. Likewise at the church of the blessed Peter and the blessed Paul and the holy Laurence he built dwellings for the poor. Likewise at the church of the blessed Peter he made 20 silver chandeliers, each weighing 15 pounds; 22 silver arches, each weighing 20 pounds. He repaired the basilica of Saint Felicitas, which was threatening to fall in ruin. He renewed the apse of the blessed Agnes, which was threatening to fall in ruin, and the whole basilica.

11. He decreed that on every Lord's Day or on the festivals of the martyrs the hymn Gloria in excelsis should be said. He restored to a better state the cemetery of the Jordani on account of the body of Saint Alexander. Every year he furnished money and clothing throughout Africa and Sardinia to the bishops who were confined in exile. He redeemed captives with money throughout Liguria and Milan and through various provinces, and multiplied his gifts and set them free. 12. He held 4 ordinations in the city of Rome in the months of December and February: 92 presbyters, 16 deacons; 117 bishops in various places. He too was buried in the basilica of the blessed Apostle Peter, on the 14th day before the Kalends of August. And the episcopate was vacant for 7 days. He also rested in peace as a confessor.

1. Hormisdas, of the Campanian nation, son of Justus, from the city of Frusino, sat 9 years, 17 days. He lived in the times of king Theodoric and the emperor Anastasius, from the consulship of Senator (514) until the consulship of Symmachus and Boethius (522). He organized the clergy and instructed them in the psalms. He built a basilica in the territory of Albano, on the estate of Mefons. 2. At that same time, by the enactment of a synod, he sent to the Greeks, showing the kindness of the apostolic see, since the Greeks were bound under the bond of anathema on account of Peter of Alexandria and Acacius, bishop of Constantinople.

Under John, bishop of Constantinople, with the counsel of king Theodoric, he sent Ennodius bishop of Pavia, and Fortunatus bishop of Catania, and Venantius a presbyter of the city of Rome, and Vitalis a deacon of the apostolic see, and Hilarus a notary of the aforesaid see. Going to the emperor Anastasius, they accomplished nothing. 3. A second time he sent the same Ennodius and Peregrinus bishop of Misenum, carrying letters of comfort for the faith and secret attestations to the number of 19, and the text of a libellus. To which libellus the emperor Anastasius refused to assent, because he himself too was in communion with the Eutychian heresy. Wishing therefore to corrupt those legates by a reward;

but the legates of the apostolic see, despising the emperor Anastasius, in no way consented to accept money, unless he should perform satisfaction to the apostolic see. Then the emperor, filled with fury, cast them out through a postern and put them on a perilous ship with soldiers and officials of the magistri and prefects, named Heliodorus and Demetrius; and the emperor Anastasius gave them this in their commands, that they should enter no city. 4. But the legates of the apostolic see more secretly set forth the aforesaid 19 letters of the faith, by the hands of orthodox monks, throughout all the cities.

These letters, however, sent by the bishops of the cities who were accomplices of the emperor Anastasius, out of fear they all directed those letters of faith to Constantinople as though it were a crime. Filled with fury, Anastasius wrote this against Pope Hormisdas, among his other imperial decrees, saying: 'We wish to command, not to be commanded.' At that same time, struck by the will of the Godhead, the emperor Anastasius was smitten by a divine thunderbolt and died. And so Justin the orthodox took up the empire, and he directed his authority to Pope Hormisdas of the apostolic see, by a man named Gratus the illustrious, hoping from the apostolic see that the peace of the churches might be restored.

Then Bishop Hormisdas, with the counsel of King Theodoric, sent from the apostolic see Germanus, bishop of Capua, and the presbyters John and Blandus, and the deacons of the apostolic see Felix and Dioscorus, and the notary Peter—men admonished on every point of faith, and bearing the text of the booklet of penance. When they came near Constantinople, the grace of the faith shone forth so greatly that a multitude of orthodox monks and a very great throng of illustrious men—among whom were the emperor Justin and the consul Vitalian—all came together to meet them from the place called the Round Castle as far as into the city of Constantinople. With glory and praise they entered together with Gratus the illustrious, and they were received by Justin the orthodox Augustus with glory.

And so the whole clergy together with John, bishop of Constantinople, perceiving that they had been gladly received, and perceiving who were the accomplices of Anastasius, shut themselves up in the great church which is called Holy Sophia; and having taken counsel, they sent word to the emperor, saying: 'Unless an account be rendered to us as to why our bishop Acacius was condemned, we in no way assent to the apostolic see ........' This Pope Hormisdas went on to King Theodoric at Ravenna, and with his counsel sent his authority to Justin; and with the bond of a written pledge and the text of the booklet he restored unity with the apostolic see, condemning Peter and Acacius and all heresies.

This man discovered Manichaeans, whom also he examined with the scrutiny of scourgings and sent into exile; and their books he burned to ashes in a fire before the doors of the Constantinian basilica. In his times the episcopate in Africa, which had been wiped out by heretics, was after seventy-four years restored. At that same time there came a royal crown set with precious gems from Clovis, the Christian king of the Franks, as a gift for blessed Peter the apostle. Under his episcopate many vessels of gold and silver came from the Greek lands, and a gospel-book with golden plates set with precious gems, weighing fifteen pounds; a golden paten with hyacinths, weighing twenty pounds; two silver patens, each weighing twenty-five pounds; a golden cup with gems, weighing eight pounds;

a golden cup encircled with a royal band, weighing eight pounds; three gilded silver cups, each weighing five pounds; a chalcedony-colored bowl, weighing two pounds; two golden candle-cases, weighing six pounds; whole-silk hangings of purple with gold-woven panels made from an imperial mantle and stole; a covering over the confessio of blessed Peter the apostle. All these were offered by Justin the orthodox Augustus for the sake of his vows. At that same time King Theodoric offered to blessed Peter the apostle two silver candlesticks, each weighing seventy pounds. This Pope Hormisdas made for blessed Peter the apostle a beam of silver with which he overlaid the eleven, weighing one hundred and forty pounds. In the Constantinian basilica he made a silver arch before the altar, weighing

twenty pounds; sixteen silver chandeliers, each weighing twelve pounds. Likewise at blessed Paul's he made two silver arches, each weighing twenty pounds; sixteen silver chandeliers, each weighing fifteen pounds; three silver ewers, each weighing ten pounds; six silver station-cups with their spouts, each weighing six pounds. This man held ordinations in the city of Rome in the month of December: twenty-one presbyters, and fifty-five bishops in various places. He was buried in the basilica of blessed Peter the apostle on the eighth day before the Ides of August, in the consulship of Maximus (523). And the episcopate was vacant for six days. (1) John, of Tuscan nationality, son of Constantius, sat two years, nine months, sixteen days.

He held office from the consulship of Maximus (523) to the consulship of Olybrius (526), in the times of Theodoric and the Christian Augustus Justin. He was summoned by King Theodoric to Ravenna; and the king himself, entreating him, sent him on an embassy to Constantinople to the orthodox emperor Justin, because at that same time the emperor Justin, a religious man, out of the deepest ardor of love for the Christian religion wished to root out the heretics. For in the highest fervor of his Christianity he had resolved upon this plan: to consecrate the churches of the Arians as Catholic. (2) For this cause the heretic king Theodoric, hearing of it, blazed up and wished to put all Italy to the sword.

At that same time Pope John, sick with infirmity, set out in tears, and the senators and ex-consuls went with him, namely Theodorus, Importunus, the ex-consul Agapitus, and another Agapitus the patrician. They received in their commission as ambassadors that the churches in the East be given back to the heretics; and if not, that he would destroy all Italy by the sword. (3) And while they were journeying with Pope John, all the people of the city met blessed John at the fifteenth milestone with candles and crosses, in honor of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul.

And the elders of the Greeks testified to this, saying that from the time of Constantine Augustus and of blessed Sylvester, bishop of the apostolic see, never until the times of Justin Augustus had the eastern part of Greece been counted worthy to receive with glory the vicar of blessed Peter the apostle. Then Justin Augustus, giving honor to God, humbled himself prostrate and venerated the most blessed Pope John. (4) At that same time the blessed Pope John, together with the aforesaid senators, with great weeping besought Justin Augustus that the embassy might be acceptable in his sight. And indeed Pope John and the senators, religious men, obtained all things, and Italy was set free from Theodoric the heretic king.

Yet the emperor Justin was filled with joy, because he had been counted worthy in his own times to see in his realm the vicar of blessed Peter the apostle; and from his hands Justin Augustus was crowned with glory. (5) At that same time, when these aforesaid men—that is, Pope John with the senators, the ex-consul Theodorus, the ex-consul Importunus, the ex-consul Agapitus, and Agapitus the patrician, who had died at Thessalonica—the aforesaid men being stationed at Constantinople, the heretic king Theodoric seized two illustrious senators and ex-consuls, Symmachus and Boethius, and slew them, putting them to death by the sword.

(6) At that same time, as the venerable Pope John and the senators were returning in glory, having obtained everything from Justin Augustus, the heretic king Theodoric received them—that is, Pope John and the senators—with great deceit and hatred, and wished even to put them to death by the sword; but, fearing the indignation of Justin Augustus, he wore them all out in custody, afflicting them, so that the most blessed John, bishop of the first see, the pope, failing under affliction in custody, died. He passed away at Ravenna in custody, on the fifteenth day before the Kalends of June, a martyr. After this deed, by the will of God almighty, on the ninety-eighth day after the most blessed John died in custody, the heretic king Theodoric suddenly perished and was dead.

(7) This Pope John restored the cemetery of the blessed martyrs Nereus and Achilleus on the Via Ardeatina; likewise he renewed the cemetery of Saints Felix and Adauctus; likewise he renewed the cemetery of Priscilla. At that same time an ornament was placed over the confessio of blessed Paul the apostle, of green and hyacinth gems. Likewise in his times the emperor Justin offered: a golden paten with gems, weighing twenty pounds; a golden chalice with gems, weighing five pounds; five silver cups; fifteen gold-woven hangings—which this John himself brought to the blessed apostles Peter and Paul, and to holy Mary, and to Saint Lawrence. (8) This man ordained fifteen bishops in various places.

His body was translated from Ravenna and he was buried in the basilica of blessed Peter, on the sixth day before the Kalends of June, in the consulship of Olybrius (526). And the episcopate was vacant for fifty-eight days. (1) Felix, of Samnite nationality, son of Castorius, sat four years, two months, thirteen days. He held office in the times of King Theodoric and Augustus Justin, from the consulship of Mavortius (527) to the consulship of Lampadius and Orestes (530), from the fourth day before the Ides of July to the fourth day before the Ides of October. (2) This man built the basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian in the city of Rome, in the place called the Via Sacra, beside the Temple of the City of Rome. In his times the basilica of the holy martyr Saturninus on the Via Salaria was destroyed by fire, which he rebuilt from the foundation.

He was also ordained in peace and lived until the times of Athalaric. (3) This man held two ordinations in the city of Rome in the months of February and March: fifty-five presbyters, four deacons; twenty-nine bishops in various places. He was also buried in the basilica of blessed Peter the apostle, on the fourth day before the Ides of October. And the episcopate was vacant for three days.